A Whisper in the Dark
by Aura
Summary: Faced with a mysterious force causing all kinds of trouble for a research community on the south pole itself will the SPR members be able to solve their newest case or will they fall prey to the darkness within themselves? NaruxMai Chapter 11 added.
1. Chapter One: Promise

**A Whisper in the Dark **-_A Ghost Hunt Fan Fiction_

I didn't really want to start another fan fiction before I finished some of the ones I've been working on. Recently I finished watching the anime series however and got an idea for one that has been eating at my brain so much that I'm starting this fiction at such an ungodly hour that I should be hung. Up front I'm not really certain which pairings I'll end up with other than Naru/Mai - cause those two are why I wanted to write this anyway!

The reason the rating is Mature is because at some date I will probably toss in some milder citrus (lime perhaps but probably not lemon) and there will probably be some dark themes (it is a horror styled series after all).

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ghost Hunt or the related characters. However the other original plot and characters I use are mine and would prefer if you like them enough to use them to ask me and give me credit for them. Thank you.

**Warning:** Will contain spoilers.

**Chapter One:** Promise

**January - Day 1**

It was so dark. Blackness itself seemed to have been absorbed into something deeper and more malicious; something that lived and hungered, hated and desired. There was so much negativity to it that was stifling and Mai found that just being there made it an effort to take each breath, and moving was out of the question. Unable to see anything and finding it hard to even sense the ground beneath her. It was a harsh and unforgiving oblivion that threatened to absorb even her thoughts and dreams the longer she lingered - yet she was unable take steps away, to scream, to even cry silently; all that she was left with was despair…there didn't remain a light left to hope with.

Then she woke up, breathing deeply and bringing her hands up to her chest and sore face where she'd fallen asleep at her desk again. The teenager glanced sheepishly around the empty office area and was silently relieved to see just how well lit the greeting area of the Shibuya Psychic Research Center or the SPR was.

She leaned back in her chair…the past few days had been exhausting; she'd gotten very little rest. Whenever she did sleep the same nightmare she just got to witness kept haunting her…

She glared half-heartedly at the door to the office of her boss; Kazuya Shibuya - otherwise known to her and the team they worked with as Naru the narcissist. After the past couple days she wondered if she ever should have come to work for him, it was undoubtedly the reason she had developed psychic powers of her own given all the research she'd helped them with over the past year.

_"At least he didn't catch me sleeping on the desk."_ She thought gratefully as she picked up a piece of the paperwork she needed to go over. _"I don't need to hear him chew me out for that too. He already nitpicks about every other detail of my work."_

"Mai." He called from his office. "Tea."

"I need a new job." She mumbled with a yawn as she got up and moved over to make the tea as he liked it - perhaps the only thing he thought she did right other than occasionally stumble across an answer during one of their cases. She carried it toward his office and opened the door quietly, looking over her boss a moment.

He didn't even look up, he never paid someone mind unless it was of interest to him.

Though there was a certain truth behind the pride he held. He was good at what he did and owned his own company even as a teenager. His personal psychic ability was so powerful that some might even consider it godly - even if it tended to render him unconscious and sick when he used it. It wasn't as if there were many people that could truly contend with him. It didn't help that he was downright dreamy and Mai had such a crush on him that she at times had to be obvious even when she tried to hide it.

"Could you at least bring me the tea before you begin to gape stupidly." He commented, still without even looking up from whatever he was reading.

_"…Too bad he's got no gifts socially" _She finished her thought process as she came in and set his tea down as hard as she could dare without it splashing onto his papers - which was sadly not nearly hard enough. _"Conceited brat."_

"Mai." He stopped her retreat from his office.

"Yes?" She asked, mustering as much of her cheery attitude as she could manage given her lack of real rest recently.

"The office isn't your bedroom, if you plan on sleeping here don't come in." He replied, his cool attitude making her close his door likely harder than she should have. Lin glanced up from his own desk at the noise but after Mai offered an apologetic look he returned to whatever he was typing and she sat back down in her place.

If she had less boring work it would help her stay awake she was certain, reading through old reports and correcting any mistakes she might find wasn't helping her tired status. It wasn't long before she was getting ready to drift off again when the door from the outside opened and the noise brought her to her feet thinking it would be Naru coming out to yell at her again.

Instead there was a woman coming inside that was dressed strangely for the colder winter months - she had on a nice dress but it seemed more like a yellow spring dress than something for snowy weather. Instead of a heavy coat she wore a jacket more fitted for early fall. She offered Mai a kind smile and shook her head. Her words accented in such a way that it was obvious she wasn't natively Japanese - even if her European look didn't give that way sooner.

"Don't get up for me child, you seem like you are about to fall over. Wouldn't want you getting hurt on my account." She chuckled, the slight tinge to her tone seemed to place her as English natively. "Is Mr. Shibuya here?"  
"He is here but he's sort of busy at the moment." Mai answered, remembering his explicit orders that only jobs that seemed 'worth his time' should he be bothered for. "Can you tell me what this concerns before I disturb him?"

"Oh, you work for him then?" She asked curiously, eyeing the teenager over as if she was measuring her worth. "I suppose so…but it would be easier to speak to him directly."

Lin glanced up and offered Mai a little help, he wasn't sure what was bothering her lately but figured he wouldn't be complained at nearly as much as she would. "It's all right, I'll get him. Have a seat miss, Mai will get you some tea if you'd like it."

"Oh, well, only if I can have ice in it." She answered with a small smile. "It's a bit too warm here for me."

Mai blinked curiously at the woman, it had to have been near freezing when she came from the school this afternoon. Too warm? At least meeting the lady and hearing her story would be interesting to Mai, though she didn't get a chance to ask about where she was from that the weather was 'too warm' before a sour-seeming Naru exited his office with Lin following. He offered Mai a look that promised he was going to give her an earful later if this wasn't something he might have a challenge with.

"Mr. Shibuya then?" she asked Naru, looking at him. "I heard you were young but I guess I didn't expect someone right out of high school."

"What is your problem?" He got right to the point, he was used to people offering him doubts because of his age and had never taken much time to dwell on it.

"Well, first I guess I should ask if you've ever heard of the Glacier Project?" She asked him, leaning back on the couch to make herself more comfortable.

"I'm familiar with it." He replied. "I read a few things in some research papers and magazines."

"What's the Glacier Project?" Mai asked, she knew she was going to suffer some insult for it but she was curious.

"We're a group of people that have volunteered to help set up a town in near the center of Antarctica at the south pole. We wanted to see if with a lot of provisions and safety measures we could make a more livable place for the families of any military personal or other researchers that stay there." The woman explained before Naru could get in a snide remark, apparently having expected to explain it. "The details of how it's possible are a bit complicated but basically we have to have buildings that have sturdy frames that are dug into the glacier itself but are light enough otherwise that the heat needed to keep people safe and healthy inside won't risk disturbing the miles of ice below it. It's been pretty amazing to be honest with you, we were up to a capacity of two-hundred when the issues started to occur."

"What issues?" Naru asked this time, sipping his own tea that he'd brought with him, watching the lady across from him.

At least her origin explained why she thought the weather here was warm.

"Well at first people just began to get a little sick and well, we didn't think much of it. Colds in that area can't exactly be uncommon after all…but then other medical issues began to follow; people would be unable to rest for days at a time or they would break out in strange rashes that had no logical reasoning." She said. Her face then got a bit darker as she thought about the next part of her story. "We had a doctor flown out in a helicopter but he couldn't find anything wrong with us in the short time he was there. After a few days he left without giving a reason why, he simply told us he wouldn't help us anymore."

She sighed some, glancing between the three that were there.

"Then people began to act very strange. Unlike themselves."

"What do you mean? Can you give me an example?" Naru asked, he was obviously starting to get a bit bored with the story.

"Well, people began to steal small things from other people. Earrings or notebooks, bits of the rations for the extended stay. That's what happened first, it got worse pretty fast, within a week it was like the whole group had become kleptomaniacs - even I found myself taking things from people and I've never stolen anything before then in my life."

She seemed a little disappointed in herself at admitting that and Mai had to frown a little, that last part was really starting to make this seem serious - perhaps a spell of some kind was affecting them?

"Did other things happen?"

"Yes." She nodded and took a breath. "I'd like a little tea actually if you don't mind dear."

Mai nodded and moved to get some for the lady, understanding her need for something to get calm if there was still more to this story.

"Thank you." She smiled warmly and then turned her attention back to Naru. "After that people started to argue a lot with each other, like we'd all ceased to be researchers and started to be children. Very few of the people wanted to take their shifts at all and most of them were more preoccupied with arguing with one another over who stole what from whom…after a day or two of just yelling the fighting started. People started to attack each other and a few of the researchers were murdered by another one that shot them - where he got the gun I don't know…they weren't allowed into the project at all."

She took the teacup a bit shakily when Mai handed it to her, trying to give as much of a smile as she could. "Six other people, that was the number of shots in the gun he used and after that he left the safe zone without any sort of protection other than a slightly heavy coat and his regular clothes - we never found him but it's only fair to assume he died in the cold."

"Are you certain this isn't just the case of a madman? It doesn't sound like any psychic phenomenon to me." Naru replied, it was cold but he didn't want travel -that- far without being more certain.

"That's not all." She reached into the bag she'd brought with her and set an envelope on the table. "After that event most people panicked for a little while and given the investigation that needed to take place only minimum crew was kept at the project for several months. For a while it seemed like the strange events were over but toward the end of the police investigation all the strange sicknesses started to occur again in the same way but this time they were accompanied by black outs in the electric center or doors randomly being frozen shut, or even rooms losing all heat when there were no problems with the systems in question. They've been checked and re-checked a dozen times and we have little other reason to turn to. As a scientist you have to believe that this is the last place I would be if I thought I had any other choice."

There were a few moments of silence after the story was over. Mai glanced to Naru, hoping he would choose to help but it was sometimes hard to tell what jobs he would or wouldn't accept.

"We are willing to pay your prices regardless of your success. Our research will end completely if this is unresolved so there isn't a better place to put the funding money we already have if that happens. Will you please help us?" The lady had remained well composed but seemed on the edge of begging as she sat across from Naru.

"I'll accept your job. I don't fail…tell Mai and Lin when we need to be ready and be prepared for seven or eight extra members for whatever travel is needed along with a fair amount of room for equipment." He explained quietly and then headed off for whatever else he planned to work on.

**End Chapter**

Well…I guess I'm just getting stuff started but I hope that people are at least somewhat interested. Maybe I shouldn't write when I'm tired…

_-Aura_

**P.S. **Reviews are the awesome and I always appreciate each and every one!


	2. Chapter Two: Glacial

**Chapter Two:** Glacial

**January - Day 3**

Mai couldn't remember being colder in her entire life - to include the various supernatural experiences she'd been through over her year as one of Naru's employee's. It was two days from when they spoke to the woman that she later learned was Dr. Lisa Morris. They were already flying over the lower continent toward their final destination and no one seemed particularly comfortable.

She was surprised that everyone agreed to come along - it was always nice to have everyone together but she didn't think that everyone would agree to it. Naru must have pulled something to get Masako to travel to the south pole. He and Lin had spent the whole of the flight in the front of the three rows looking at their computers and trying to research every possible thing they could - it wasn't as if there was a lot of information in regards to the area. She wondered if they were even still looking up that kind of thing as they were still busily typing away, likely they'd started searching elsewhere for anything related to the strange happenings that they could find.

She was close to where they were on the large helicopter and had spent her hours eyeing the rest of the group. She had been unlucky enough to end up by one of the doors - which she could swear made her colder than the rest. She might still be tired but it was hard to think about sleeping when you were shivering.

Next to her Yasuhara had fallen asleep on Ayoko's shoulder and Ayoko had set her head back on the young student's and was drooling a little into his hair. That much made her stifle a giggle, she had to remember to start bringing a camera if they went on anymore long adventures. Moving along John was on the other side of Ayoko and was reading his bible, apparently having the same trouble sleeping Mai was.

The third and final row with people had the doctor as snuggled as she could get with a blanket over her and one of the C-shaped travel pillows. Next to her Bou had passed out with his head hanging over the back of the seat itself, arms over either side of the ladies next to him. Masako had snuggled up against the larger male she was seated with - probably for warmth given the temperature. Next to the priestess a sour looking older man was rubbing his arms between occasionally glancing at everyone much like Mai had been.

He was Mr. Halliford, one of the people funding the Glaicier Project that had apparently insisted on coming along with this 'nonsense psychic investigator' so he could see things get done correctly. In what little time Mai had seen him the guy was very rude and seemed generally unhappy no matter the circumstances. She had to give him the benefit of the doubt though - this part of the trip had been horrible given the lack of heat.

There was a fourth row in the fairly big copter but it had been completely filled with supplies, rations, and all the equipment that Lin and Naru could manage to fit and still have a safe flight weight. Mai frowned a little at that, she could have sworn he'd of rather gotten rid of a few team members for some extra pieces of his personal apparatus.

Mai herself wasn't holding up as well as she was putting forward, she likely hadn't gotten more than a hour or two more of sleep the night before they left and as tempting as unconsciousness was now she doubting even trying would do her much good. Once they arrived and she was somewhere warm?

_"I just hope I don't pass out in the first warm room we come across." _She thought to herself absently. _"Though I imagine that would make Naru happy - well, only if I made the tea before I did."_

Whatever other thoughts she might have had about the arrival were interrupted when the whole copter shuddered and they would have been piled everywhere if they hadn't been wearing the small seatbelts that kept them in place.

Mai yelped at the disturbance, Masako following with a shriek of her own. Masako was clinging to Bou and Ayoko was being clung to by Yasuhara. The old man had grabbed onto his seat and the one next to him - the doctor and Ayoko hadn't even woken up. Bou was grinning a little at the priestess holding onto his side until she realized things had evened out and they were safe and slapped him before straightening her kimono and huffing her indignation.

Lin had managed to save the laptops he and Naru were working on and Naru had already leaned up to the cab to ask them what was going on by the time Mai calmed herself down and her gaze had gotten back to the front.

"What was that?" Bou asked, still smiling a little despite the growing redness on his cheek.

Naru didn't seem amused when he turned around, letting the pilot explain things himself.

"Sorry about that folks." There was no intercom so he was forced to yell over the hum of the blades and engine. "There was some sort of electrical short out for a moment but things seem to be fine now and we'll be landing at the Project shortly, please be prepared to get off in the next few minutes."

"Don't you think they would have told us sooner that they were landing anyway?" The old man muttered in complaint to Masako who nodded a little in agreement and they started to discuss how horrible this place was already. At least Masako found someone that would be irritated at all the little incontinences of the world with her.

The announcement woke up the doctor where the helicopter shaking hadn't; though Ayako was still snoozing soundly.

"Yasuhara…" Mai whispered. "You should probably disentangle yourself from Ayako before she wakes up and murders you."

The college student glanced toward Mai and nodded a bit, removing his arms from when he'd grabbed her during the scare.

"That was fun to wake up to." He announced with a smile.

Mai eyed him skeptically. "At least you probably aren't lying - for once. Just remember to wash your hair once you get to a shower."

He glanced back to Mai a little confused at that random comment and just shook his head a bit, turning to wake up the shrine maiden who could apparently sleep through anything.

"Ayoko." He shook her gently. "We're almost there, you need to get dressed."

"Hmm?" She yawned a little and stretched, completely unaware of the scare that had woken most of the rest of the plane as she blinked and looked around. "Already? Seems like we just left."

"Well at least she won't have trouble with the insomnia it seems like." Bou commented as he started to get all the layers of extra clothes on with everyone else getting ready for the landing. "I think she'd still be snoozing if we flew into outer space."

"Ha, ha." she replied slowly. "Just because some of us are sounder sleepers than others."

"Better at drooling too." Naru commented as he put on the extra layers of felt like the rest. "There's still some on your chin."

The shrine maiden jumped at the comment and wiped at the spit that still lingered on her face.

She muttered something under her breath but didn't want to open herself up for anymore jokes at her expense so remained mostly quiet as she moved around to start getting all the heavy coats on herself.

They looked like a bunch of oompa loompa's in the heavy orange and green coats that the Project had provided for them.

"Is there a reason your group chose Orange?" Bou asked as he looked over himself skeptically. "Did you get a special discount for getting the color no one else would buy?"

"Honestly, yes." The doctor replied with a chuckle. "I know they aren't the most stylish of things but they're very warm and the color pattern stands out should someone get lost outside of the small hamlet itself."

"Is that a common occurrence?" Masako asked with some small measure of concern in her tone, she wasn't happy with her new color coding either but she was happy not to freeze. "We shouldn't be having to leave the small community itself will we?"

"We wouldn't approve of you all heading outside anyway." The doctor replied with a shake of her head. "None of you have had the training to survive in this sort of environment and there have already been enough deaths involved in this."

"It is likely that at some point we will need to go outside of your set boundaries." Naru put his word in, despite the slight dismay of the dark haired priestess. "I won't make any members of my team go out that don't want to."

Masako almost relaxed visibly at that announcement.

"However, it might come down to some sort of issue that is outside of the walls themselves. I'd imagine it is actually something that was here before your project ever came so likely count on us needing to transverse outside." He finished explaining to the doctor right before the helicopter came to a fairly soft landing.

The blast of glacial air hit Mai like a brick wall, it cut into the little bit of visible skin around her eyes like thousands of cuts. It instantly made her eyes ache and become dry and even with things over the rest of her body it still felt chilled just by stepping onto the ground. As if she'd hopped into a pool filled with ice water and it was just taking a little longer for the moisture to sink through her heavy clothing. It was hard to breath and she stumbled a little on her way after the doctor to the inside, half-wanting to cry at how much it reminded her of the nightmare she'd kept having lately.

There were few times in her short life that matched the relief she felt when she got into the warmer room inside. Only a little aware of the others following in behind her and looking around. The place seemed to built as a series of separated rooms connected by cylinder like hallways. It was semi-futuristic but had a lot of areas that were very comfortable in nature. The idea originally had been to make it a place where families could live with the researchers out here.

The tour wasn't long really, just drawn out cause the hallways made it seem larger than it was. There were separated sections; a set more secured section for the researchers, living quarters for single researchers and separate ones for family units, there was a large area set aside for recreation though some it wasn't completely built yet and then a area for classrooms for any children that might join parents. It was certainly well prepared, in the center of everything was a cafeteria and kitchen area where most of the foodstuffs were kept.

They were given one of the larger family units to share between themselves, the one closest to the cafeteria, explaining that the less power they put into areas the safest and more efficient it was for the Project itself. Though it was late and they probably wouldn't see any of the other researchers until the next day. The doctor left them with their boxes and other equipment in the large family area they were sharing and said that the people here would do what they could to help them set things up after they had a chance to sleep.

This time of year the area rarely had daylight hours so the digital and other battery operated clocks that were hung just about in every room was the best way to keep track of the time.

After the load of information she left them to themselves to look over the new home they were sharing.

"This is actually very nice." Bou observed as he looked over a small floor map of their 'home' on the wall. "Five bedrooms, three baths, two different common areas and a small kitchette and laundry room of our own. An apartment like this in Tokyo is unheard of for anything less than…well what we could afford anyway."

"Speak for yourself." Naru replied to the monk as he moved his personal bags into a room with Lin, it was no surprise the two would bunk together. "Yasuhara, Ayoko, Bou, take the three smaller rooms to yourself. Mai and Masako, you two share the final bedroom."

Mai frowned a little but didn't get a chance to protest before the priestess spoke up.

"Why do I have to stay with Mai? Why can't Ayoko do it?" Masako protested, though kept her voice fairly calm.

"Or why can't the ladies each have rooms of our own and have Bou and Yasuhara stay together?" Ayoko piped in. "I'm sure us ladies would appreciate rooms of our own more than either of them. They are used to sharing space."

"Good point." Bou agreed, he didn't want to see the fireworks between Masako and Mai if they had to share a room together. "I wouldn't mind staying with Yasuhara."

"I don't have a problem with it." Yasuhara said with a small shrug. "I normally have a roommate anyway, no difference for me."

"It won't work." Naru replied calmly. "Someone needs to be there in case Mai has one of her dreams and Ayoko can't be trusted to wake up if the ceiling caves in."

The red-haired shrine maiden huffed and grabbed her bag. "Fine. I get to be alone either way."

She stormed off to one of the rooms, apparently claiming that one for her own and leaving the argument after the last comment.

"Think you'd be used to it." Bou called with a smirk after her. "Well, I guess that does make sense. Sorry Masako, Mai, don't kill each other."

He and Yasuhara wandered off to rooms of their own. Mai just nodded a little, she was a bit too tired to care; she would be angry at Naru later for the room assignments. Though the irritation in Masako's face at her easy agreement was enough to make her smile a little as she passed her by and headed into her room to take the extra clothes off and fall asleep.

"We'll talk about this later." Masako promised Naru and picked up her bag to move daintily into her room after Mai.

_"I guess it won't be so bad if she's just going to keep to herself like that."_ Masako thought as she settled her bag down, she had barely opened it when she noted that Mai had already tossed her clothes on the floor and gone to sleep on the bed without even crawling under the covers. _"Though she'll definitely have to keep things cleaner or this will never work."_

The priestess settled some of her things in the drawers and then stashed the empty bag under the bed, she had gotten on pajamas and was getting ready to sleep herself when Mai started to mutter in her sleep.

_"So much for rest…"_

**End Chapter**

Sorry that things are still a little slow. I had lots of details to go over to start setting things up a little more. Next chapter the action should pick up a bit.

_-Aura_

To my reviewers:

_zeroseconds_ - I wanted to go for something original and I thought that it was new.

_AirStriker _- Guess you got what you expected?

_Miss.Margaret_ - Hope you keep enjoying it.

_Ayjah_ - Thank you.


	3. Chapter Three: Caution

Just to Note: I have been informed about the Ayoko-Ayako mistake and will be trying not to make it in the future.

**Chapter Three:** _Caution_

**January - Day 4**

"Isn't this the opposite of the symptoms they were having before?" Bou asked as he pushed his bangs back out of his face. "You sure she was mumbling last night Masako?"

The priestess nodded seriously. "She mumbled for at least an hour before I finally went to bed, I figured if she woke up then it would wake me. I'm a light sleeper most of the time. When I woke up she was still mumbling like before, she didn't stop until I went over to try to wake her after my shower."

"So after you touched her she didn't mumble anymore but wouldn't wake up?" Lin asked, trying to get all the information straight for his files. "And she passed out right after she hit the bed?"

"Yes and yes." Masako agreed. "She's hardly talked at all sense we left yesterday morning. Has she not been feeling well?"

"She hadn't been sleeping much at all lately." Lin confirmed that hypothesis. "Did she mention anything to any of you? I know you helped her move some things last week Bou."

Naru was standing under the only window in the whole 'apartment', looking out through the skylight toward the darkness outside. Whatever he was thinking about he wasn't sharing, which wasn't anything new.

"Yeah I did but she was her usual zany self then. No problems she mentioned or seemed to have." the Monk shook his head seriously. "I sent Yasahara to get one of the doctors to look at her. It might just be that she's over-exhausted if she was having as much trouble sleeping as you say."

"Not likely." Lin shook his head. "My shiki sense some sort of spell around her…but it's not a simple sleeping spell. It's like she's being trapped in a dream of some kind."

"We need to get to work." Naru finally announced. "Ayako, now that you've slept will you stay here and watch over Mai in case she wakes up with any information?"

The shrine maiden nodded, sipping at the cup of coffee in one of her hands. "I can do that."

"Use Yasuhara when he returns as a runner to let us know if anything else happens." Naru continued to spit orders. "Bou please accompany Masako about the whole of the grounds here inside. I'd like you to set up some protections around the base later once we know where it's going to be. Masako do what you can to see if you sense any spirits here on the walk around."

The two nodded toward Naru and the larger monk followed the more petite lady out of the room.

"Lin and I are going to head and figure out the best place for the base and then come to get the equipment for setting it up." He added before heading off with the Chinese man in toe.

"Off to work already?" Yasuhara asked as he returned with Dr. Morris. "You'd think he'd want to wait and see how Mai is."

"He's off cause he thinks if he solves this he can stop whatever it is from effecting her." Ayako explained with a shrug. Watching as the doctor moved over to Mai and started checking vitals and then giving her a basic view. "It's the logical way to go."

"I guess." the student shrugged a little. "What do you think all this is?"

"I'm not sure, hell, I don't even know why Naru would want to being me along." She smirked some. "It's not like I can offer much in this kind of setting."

"An extra pair of hands can't hurt." He smiled as he went and got a cup of coffee of his own. "Now he can have you baby-sit Mai."

"Guess it's better than being the errand boy." She replied a little sourly. "You've been on quite a few cases with us now, what is your opinion on it?"

"I'm not sure, seems like there are lots of things going on." He shrugged. "Naru always figures things out though. We'll manage, I just agreed to come cause I thought it would be fun to see a new place…though now I figure I just want to hide in here until we leave."

Ayako didn't reply, looking over to the doctor. "Do you know what's wrong Dr. Morris?"

The lady shook her head a little. "No, this is different than the sickness' we were dealing with before. She seems healthy from what I can tell. Though her body temperature is a little low."

"Well it is pretty cold here." Ayako reasoned.

"No, it's a regular temperature in here and you've been here for hours, her body temperature should be higher than it is." The lady explained as she pushed some of Mai's hair back. "She's even cool to touch…it's bizarre. Has she been dreaming this whole time?"

"Yeah, her eyes have been flickering a little like that." Ayako nodded. "Masako said that she's been much the same sense she fell asleep last night."

"huh…" The doctor was eyeing Mai like she might be a whole extra research project. "Well I don't think there is much I can do for her but if you want we can transfer her over to the infirmary and do some more tests."

"Sounds fine to me. I'd rather we do everything we can to help her. Yasuhara, could you let Naru where we're gonna be?"

"Sure," the student set back down the half-finished cup of coffee on a table and got up. "Anything else?"

"Masako…." Mai coughed a little as she blinked suddenly awake. "Masako's in danger."

"What? Mai, what's going on?" Ayako wasn't skeptical after the other things Mai had seen in the past. "Where are Masako and Bou?"

"Classroom…one of the classrooms." Mai seemed to be hoarse as if she were losing her voice but she jumped up from the couch, looking at the doctor seriously. "You have to take us. Yasu…get Naru and…Lin."

The student nodded and rushed away to do as he was told. The doctor looked at them blankly at the sudden change of events. "What?"

"Take us to the classroom area." Ayako repeated, "Just trust Mai, she knows what she's talking about."

"Okay, it's this way." the doctor said, taking a rushed pace as she lead them through the strange hallways. "What is the problem?"

"Bou attacked her…he was controlled." Mai answered, doing her best to keep up with her lungs burning like they were, it was still hard for her to breath. She had to stop and lean on the wall. "Go, go ahead, I can't…I'll stay here."

"We better move on." Ayako touched the doctor's shoulder. "Mai's tough and the others will be on their way soon."

The doctor nodded a little, still confused but continuing to lead the shrine maiden toward their destination. "You are certainly a strange group."

"I figure most people would think that." Ayako couldn't argue with the statement and was more concerned about what Bou could do to Masako if someone didn't get there soon.

This area wasn't completed either and with only parts of construction done the scene was much more familiar to the haunted areas they tended to frequent. Not that she wanted to feel more like she was dealing with ghosts. They rounded a corner and she had to come to a pause, putting a hand to her mouth in shock at what was in front of her.

Masako had a black eye and most of her kimono had been torn in the scuffle, her lip was busted and starting to swell from the exchange they'd luckily found likely before it was too late. She scooted back across the floor where she'd fallen or been pushed down - away from the monk that had been attacking her. Looking frantically toward the two women that had walked in on the scene. Bou was grasping his eyes and screaming - it didn't take a genius to figure out what the small spray can was being grasped in the fleeing priestess' hand.

"He just attacked me…the spirit here is completely malevolent." Masako explained as she ran toward the door. "I don't think he's gonna stop…"

"Come on." The doctor pulled Masako out of the room and stepped back, closing the heavy metal door and locking the monk in the room before he could get his eyes clear enough to come after them.

"Goodness." John blinked at the scene, he'd been separated from the group upon their arrival by the request of a catholic member of the researchers that wished to speak with him and had come across Lin and Naru in the cafeteria as Yasuhara caught up with them.

With him was one of the other members of the researcher team and Lin. The Chinese man watched Bou rage senselessly in the room, tossing the few desks that had been moved inside against the door and screaming - though it was very muffled given how thick all the walls and doors here were.

"He's not even thinking to use his powers." Lin observed. "He could probably get through otherwise…what happened Masako?"

"We were walking the halls and he was like he usually was. I hadn't felt anything until we went in there." She motioned at the room, touching her busted lip with a wince. "I suddenly felt the worse spirit I think I've ever felt…it made me cold and for a moment I couldn't even breath. I didn't get a chance to think about more, Bou turned on me and punched me right in the eye. He was going on about something being stolen from him and then just got more angry. I think he might have killed me if I hadn't had that pepper spray. How did you guys know to come?"

"Mai woke up suddenly and said you were here and that you were being attacked." Ayako explained. "Though we came right after it started so she was seeing something that hadn't happened yet."

"That's new." John commented.

"Where is Mai now?" Masako asked.

"She collapsed on the way here." the doctor answered frowning.

"It's all right." Lin said, still watching the raging monk inside the room from the thankfully thick window in the door. "Naru is taking care of her. Yasuhara went to get some of the other researchers to let them know what's going on."

That didn't make the priestess feel much better but she couldn't be bitter toward her normal rival for Naru's attention - Mai had probably saved her life again by trying to run here.

"This is getting bad much faster than the pattern we were told about by you last time Dr. Morris." John said. "Was this the area where problems happened before?"

"Not really no." she shook her head, lost as any of them. "No one has come to this area sense the basic construction and there weren't any problems then."

"What do you think about it Lin?" John asked as he looked into the room at the raging monk with him.

"I have no real set ideas yet as to what's causing it but I know we need to get that spirit out of Bou before it learns how to access his monk abilities. Do you think if I get him held you can exorcise him?" Lin's voice was serious and a little grim. He wasn't sure if he could hold him without injuring him in this case.

"I don't think we have much of a choice." John replied. "We'll be able to do it just fine."

"All right, Doctor Morris, could you open the door for us please?" He asked her, ignoring the look he got that screamed 'are you crazy?'. "We have to get that spirit out of him before he gets even more dangerous. Close the door behind us after we go in and don't open it until we all say it's okay."

Mai was slowly trying to return to the surface of her consciousness. She knew she'd fallen over in the hallway and that breathing was difficult but it was as if none of it really mattered, like it was all happening through a fog and it wasn't really that important. She was being moved and someone was checking her body over but it was several moments - minutes perhaps? - before she realized that someone was breathing air into her.

She was awake then, trying to sit up suddenly and slamming her skull into Naru's hard enough that the resounding crack had her seeing stars and pondering unconsciousness again. "Ow…Naru?"

"Mai. Are you all right?" he asked her seriously, his blue eyes having a unfamiliar hint of concern despite the fact that he had a hand held to his temple where she'd inadvertently assaulted him.

"I think so." she answered, she could feel the blush welling in her face.

_"No."_ her thoughts didn't echo her words. _"Let me amend that; Hell no! Naru was just kissing me…sure mouth to mouth doesn't really count but it kind of does, doesn't it? No, I'm not okay. I can't believe I head butted him when he was trying to save me."_

"Can you stand up?" He asked, trying not to mention the fact that he'd been slammed into so harshly. He often seemed to have the attitude that if he didn't talk about it then it didn't happen.

"Yes." She accepted the help up and dusted herself off. "Masako!"

The memory of her vision returned now that she could breath again. "She's not safe…"

"Calm down." Naru answered, grabbing her shoulder before she started running -again- after the recent collapse. "I sent Lin and John ahead. They'll be able to deal with a possessed Bou perfectly fine."

"I…I guess." Mai agreed, trying her best to remove the blush that was haunting her. "How long was I asleep?"

"About thirteen hours." He answered, walking behind her as they headed back toward where the others had been sent. "Did you dream about things?"

"Yeah." Mai nodded. "I can't remember all of it clearly but I dreamed a lot."

"You'll need to tell us about it once we get Bou fixed." Naru said before they turned the corner and saw the priest and assistant jumping into the room and Dr. Morris closing it.

**End Chapter**

I read through a load of spoilers for what happens in Ghost Hunt after the end of the anime series and as this fiction picks up at the end of the series I'm going to be picking up with my own version of the events that happen thereafter. I will be keeping some things the same but changing others to fit what I want to do with this fiction. Thanks for reading.

_-Aura_

P.S. I'm dedicating this chapter to Mayu79 from for a really amazing amv I found earlier today.

To my reviewers:

_Miss Koneko_ - Thank you.

_HarunoRin_ - As you like. Updated.

_Ayjah_ - Well Naru had good reason for having them bunk together…the author of the fiction…well yeah I -love- creating conflict.

_zeroseconds_ - Whoops! I'm gonna be trying to fix that as best I can in the future. My mistake.


	4. Chapter Four: Prison

**Chapter Four:** _Prison_

**January - Day 4**

"I'm fine." Bou assured for what had to be the third dozen time as he sat down in the common room of the 'apartment' they were mostly sharing. John, much to the chagrin of some members, had been given his own small quarters. Apparently at least a small chunk of the researchers were actually catholic and requested that he was given living quarters away from the women. For the moment he was joining them for the story they were going to hear soon from Mai.

The exorcism had gone so simply Naru was still keeping a close eye on the monk, though several precautions for the safety of the group had been taken for the quarters they were sleeping in. He seemed embarrassed and then downright sad when he saw what he'd done to Masako. She said she didn't blame him but didn't want to sit by him in the circumstances and he had laughed it off with a joke though it was obvious the whole situation had shaken him more than he'd ever admit.

Mai was surprised to see him as such, he'd always been the strong one and seeing that he'd done such damage before he was stopped was disconcerting for the teenager. He'd basically become her older brother and she had never imagined that him doing such a thing even when possessed was even possible.

"Mai." Naru's voice drew her away from the scene around the monk as he sipped at some nasty smelling tea Lin said might help him ward off further possessions.

_"I think I'd rather be possessed."_ Mai thought with a small face as a whiff of the stuff reached her.

"Mai." Naru repeated, though his voice was already less patient than the last time. "Can you tell us what you dreamed? Or at least what you remember of it?"

She nodded a little, trying not to look at his lips or think about the fact that he'd literally been breathing life into her earlier today with them.

"Yeah." She agreed, thinking of how to start. Lin used her pause as a chance to get his laptop ready and take further notes.

"I had a lot of dreams where I was in some sort of old mansion or possibly even a castle - though I never did see the outside. I just know the inside was really immense and I think I kept getting lost." she started as she tried to wrack her brain for more details.

Despite the number of comments that could have been made as to her direction sense people left it alone for the time being.

"Some man kept finding me and taking me back to a ballroom where there was a party being held. I remember being there a lot…I danced a little and then I would get bored and wander off again talking to someone or another that was there. That kept happening for a really long while and then finally the guy seemed to be getting angry with me…saying that I wasn't being loyal to him." She continued. "He finally started yelling but I don't remember most of what I said. I think he was threatening me cause I ran away and then fell into a part of the floor in the house that seemed to be in repair."

The group exchanged some looks, some of them more knowing than others. Mai seemed hesitant to continue the story.

"Go ahead Mai." Bou encouraged her from his seat. "We need to know what you saw."

"I fell for a while but I didn't know where I was, it was cold and dark. It seemed like I was swimming aimlessly through the air before I finally just sort of tumbled into the classroom that's here." She answered. "At first I didn't know where I was but then Bou and Masako came into the room. Masako suddenly got a terrified look on her face and then Bou…"

She broke off, not wanting to say what happened aloud.

"We can come to conclusions from there unless you have anything to add that we aren't already aware of." Naru broke in, not forcing her to recall the attack more than they already had.

Mai shook her head, a little surprised that he was being so nice to her about it. Come to think of it, she didn't see Naru when she was dreaming…that was new, but she wasn't about to admit having dreamt about him for so long in the past. That wasn't a detail they needed to be aware of in her opinion.

"So. We know thanks to Masako that there is a powerful spirit here that isn't friendly and likely has no plans of being friendly. Spirits that can cast spells and curses are rare but we've dealt with similar circumstances in the past. Does this story meet up with anything in the records you found?" Yasuhara was the one to speak up, trying to break the tension given Bou didn't feel like being the one to talk this time.

"There aren't hardly any stories that relate to here." Lin replied calmly. "That's one of the problems we're having."

"It would be dangerous but I would be willing to try exorcizing the classroom where Bou was possessed?" John offered. "It likely wouldn't go well given it was the only place that's had such an aggressive reaction but it might end this before it gets worse."

"I'd rather not try it." Naru disagreed. "How this building is it's not the best plan. It might just jump to a different area. This isn't exactly a normal city and each room is a building by itself. The spirit might just jump to another one and then we wouldn't know where it was. No, I'd prefer to leave it where we have some clue where it is."

"Which leaves us to do what?" Ayako asked with a frown. "We can't ward everything here before trying the exorcism, that would take weeks and the spirit could get much more active in it's violence like today."

"It's a male spirit." Masako interrupted to give the information. "I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on details then but I'm sure it is. It's probably the male influence in Mai's dreams."

"Well given that's true." Yasuhara asked. "What is it we can even do about it unless we figure out who it is?"

"I don't think the guy I was dreaming about was as malicious as Masako says." Mai jumped in. "He was certainly very angry but he personally didn't make attacks of any kind. He just seemed very impatient."

"That might make sense though. When Bou was possessed he was just going bezerk, he was so angry he couldn't logically react. That's how we were able to get the spirit out of him so easily." Lin explained. "I think Masako is right. The spirit from Mai's dreams is the one we're dealing with."

"Did you hear any names in your dream Mai? Can you tell us maybe what time period it was in? That could help narrow down at least the time that this ghost is from originally." John was the one to ask her, offering a gentle smile of reassurance.

She had to return the gesture, it was nice to know people around her were supporting her despite her problems remembering. "I don't remember any electricity, but the ballroom was really well lit and there weren't any windows that I recall. The floors were mostly stone but some wooden floors were in some parts, I remember how they echoed when I walked. It was chilly like it was winter there as well, I was wearing a dress and a jacket but I don't think I was ever outside."

"Any writing anywhere?" Bou jumped in with a question.

"I don't think so." Mai shook her head, feeling a bit useless given how little the information was actually helping. "I mostly remember that it was very extravagant. If I had to pick a time period or culture I would guess European or American in the seventeen or eighteen hundreds. I'm sorry I can't remember more."

"If you dream anything else, write it down right away." Naru said offering her a notepad and a pencil. "For now, Bou I'd like you to work up protection charms for everyone with Lin to ward them against possession. Between us and the twenty-five other researchers you two will have your work cut out for you. Give the first charms to John, Ayako, and Yasuhara. You three can begin to set up equipment in the classroom and the surrounding areas. Most ghosts don't have the energy to keep attacking main areas. Masako, go with them and see if you can find anything else about the spirit."

"What about me?" Mai asked seriously as everyone else went about the jobs assigned to them.

"Stay in here with Lin and Bou and try to get some more sleep." Naru said calmly, as if it were the obvious answer.

_"Figures."_ Mai complained silently to herself. _"All I'm good for is visions when I'm sleeping. He can get someone else to make his tea then."_

"Oh." He added before he left the room. "Make some tea, Masako can bring it to me while she's waiting for her protective ward."

_"Dammit!"_

After some twenty minutes of mentally insulting Naru - and after the others had their charms and were gone - Mai finally had gotten sleepy enough to nod off into slumber again.

This time though she recognized the dream sequence as one of the more normal ones, small orbs of light floated around her and she had to smile at them ruefully - she'd missed her non-nightmarish dreams. She got up and looked around, taking a moment to recognize the cafeteria she was in as the one from the Project village they were currently visiting.

Dream Naru always seemed so much more kind than the real one, not that she minded after the week she'd had. She turned and saw him walking up next to her, something else she'd come to expect when her dreams involved the glowing orbs.

He motioned for her to follow him and held out a hand. She blushed a bit but took the hand expecting to be lead toward the classroom, a little surprised when they floated out of the Project area completely, she pulled her arms up expecting to be cold but then reasoned it was a dream so she didn't have to be after she wasn't immediately sent into convulsions by the temperature.

A shadow hung over almost the whole of the project, more easily visible from this vantage point. It was somehow darker in the classroom area where Masako was attacked but also in most of the rooms in that general area and even darker right outside the Project itself. In the cafeteria a red light seemed to shine with wicked intent, moving as if it were a person. There were other lights but they were muted and almost impossible to see with the overlying fog of darkness.

"That's the dark ghost haunting everything?" She asked the dream Naru.

He nodded and motioned her eyes back down, she considered some more for a while.

"The smaller lights are the people…but I don't know what the red light is…the spirit of the man that I was dreaming about before?" She glanced back over to find him shaking his head a little.

He motioned for her hand again and she frowned some, wanting to figure out what the red light was but taking the offered lead. They seemed to fly again and this time they were on the ground on a sort of hill, the Project's buildings visible a block or two away in the distance. There was nothing of note though that she could use to really place it, if she had to find it on her own she doubted she would. It just seemed like more snow.

"Here." He said to her quietly, pointing to a point in the ice on a small cliff face.

She came over and gasped at the sight, blinking in disbelief. It was Naru again, frozen deep under the ice though still not deep enough that it was able to be mistaken. She reached forward to touch the small wall where he was trapped and found that her hand passed through. She quickly drug it back from the side as if it had or might burn her, a little afraid of being able to do so.

She glanced back to search for answers but the dream Naru had left her here to figure out this bizarre puzzle on her own.

She glanced around in small hope that the dream Naru might return to her but when that didn't happen she reached back out and pushed just an inch or two into the ice. Staring at her fingers in the surface of the cliff before she took a breath and pushed herself through to reach for Naru, once she was deeper in the chill actually started to bother her, it wasn't unbearable - but she could feel the cold unlike just a few moments before.

She didn't want to go completely within but her arms weren't long enough to reach unless she pulled herself fully inside - it wasn't that she really needed to breath but the more of her body that was in it the more the chill seemed to tear into her despite her dream status. She finally gave in and let her body go mostly inside so he could finally get a grip on Naru's shoulder, hoping to pull him free of the cliff.

What she hadn't expected was for his blue eyes to snap open when she touched him, offering her the most hateful glare she'd ever seen from him before reaching up to grab her arm and pull her completely into the prison of cold with him.

**End Chapter**

Yay, this chapter takes me over 10,000 words. Gotta shoot for the next bracket for the search menu and get to 20,000 next. I have some plans for this fiction and I just hope it all works out to what I'm seeing for it.

_-Aura_

To my reviewers:

Ayjah - Well, that's true. I can't see someone with his ego not enjoying women fighting over him.

Miss koneko - blink Wow, what a small world we live in no? That's the one. I loved your vid. I'm aurasilversky at to and left you a review about it. What program did you use to make that? How many hours did you put in? It was just great, one of few vids I've kept after watching. I wanna use that song you used now, save to a Hatenkou Yugi AMV.

HarunoRin - Yeah, I never saw Bou-san get possessed in the series and I liked the idea of Naru giving Mai mouth to mouth. Something for them to be embarrassed about.


	5. Chapter Five: Echo

**Chapter Five:** _Echo_

**January - Day 5**

It was that same suffocating blackness as before, the nightmare was repeating itself but it was getting louder with each passing. Then it shifted, the shadows changed their usual path and lengthened in a lazy stretch as some light broke through the darkness.

Then she woke up in her bed at the Project and stretched a little, holding the back of her hand over her mouth as she yawned, someone must have moved her after she drifted off on the couch. She'd gotten so used to the nightmare that it wasn't even bothering her as it was before.

She felt the best she had in ages actually and didn't get up just yet, enjoying lounging for a bit before she had to face the usual ridicule of the day. Then there was a knock on the door.

"It's open." She called, enjoying the warmth too much to get up yet.

"Are you all right?" She blinked in surprise at Naru as he came into the room with her and closed the door again. "You've been sleeping for nearly fourteen hours."

"I feel great actually." She answered honestly but did drag herself to a seat. Surprised to see her boss checking on her in her bedroom.

"Did you see anything else?" He asked her seriously, settling himself on Masako's bed and facing her.

_"Figures."_ She sighed to herself mentally. _"He only came in here to get more information, he wasn't worried. Is it too much to hope he might wanna just spend time with me sometime?"_

"Mai?" He prompted her from her internal tirade.

_"Does he have to have such gorgeous eyes?"_

"I did." She nodded, thinking about it. She left out the part involving Naru and the ice but told him about what she saw from the overhead view of the Project, blinking in surprise when he sat next to her on her bed at the end of her explanation.

"Is that all?" He asked her as she flustered at being on a bed with her long-time crush.

She nodded wordlessly, afraid she'd stutter or break off if she tried to actually say anything. She was vaguely surprised she remembered to close her mouth.

"Thank you." He said without looking at her. "For your help with all this."

_"I'm still dreaming."_ She sighed a little when she figured it out. _"Naru would never thank me for anything. He definitely would have insulted me somehow by this time."_

"I want to apologize for some of the ways I've treated you." He continued.

_"At least it's a good dream."_

She had to admit that she didn't mind Naru being nice to her - though she wished it would happen a little more in reality as opposed to just in her head.

"Do you want to go out with me? After this job is over I mean?" He asked her in his usual serious tone. "I think it would be all right to spend some time together outside of the office."

She had to resist a frown. Her brain liked to torture her and she didn't like it, she was pondering tears when she answered. "I'd like that."

He leaned closer to her then, where he could have easily kissed her or she him if it had been much more. After a moment he moved further but to one side, raising a hand to run fingers through her hair as he whispered in her ear. "You would want all of this wouldn't you?"

His hand trailed down, fingers tracing her spine and it was nice in that naughty sort of way. The attention from him was certain tantalizing even if it was just a dream. His breath was warm on her neck as he continued to whisper. "It doesn't take much to get you anything you'd want dear girl. You help me free of here and I'll grant you your greatest wishes."

She blinked a little at that, backing up out of the embrace a bit regretfully to look her crush in the eyes, forcing herself to remember it wasn't really him. "Who are you? I can't help you unless you tell me more."

He smiled impishly at her, raising the hand that was around her to stroke her cheek as he leaned forward again, lingering so near her lips that she honestly thought he was going to kiss her.

"Me? I am the key to your heart's desires Mai Taniyama." He answered lowly before pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. She couldn't help but blush at it and close her eyes, it was amazing, it was everything she'd read about in any storybook and more than she'd ever come to expect. She shivered a little as he released her lips. "I'll be kind enough to offer you an example. Good day to you Mai."

When she opened her eyes she found herself in her bed and it was still early enough morning that Masako was snoring very lightly in the bed next to her. She sighed a bit softly, what was it that this spirit wanted?

She was still blushing even after the dream was over and she could still feel her lips tingling. It might have been a dream but it was amazingly real even for one of her dreams. She pulled her robe on over her pajama's and headed from the room to get herself something to drink from the kitchenette.

The gentle electric glow from a computer screen greeted her once she exited her room, closing the door she noted that it was Naru still awake. If she hadn't personally seen him asleep before she would have sworn that he didn't at all.

"Mai?" he seemed perhaps a little surprised to see her. "Did you see anything else?"

"I did." She answered, moving over to the kitchen. "You want some tea?"

"Yes." He nodded, though was back to looking at his screen now. "What did you see?"

_"This is starting to seem familiar. Should I tell him about his part in the dream? I'd die of embarrassment…how can I tell him without really telling him?"_

"Mai?" His interrupting her thoughts didn't help her opinion of this repeating what she just dreamed about - though the setting was completely different.

"Yeah, just some of it is sort of strange." She answered as she worked on the tea. She repeated her explanation of the shadow surrounding the Project and the red light with the other muted lights then went on to explain being pulled outside the project to where there was a figure trapped in the ice and when she reached for it she got dropped into another dream.

That was where she didn't know what to say, she moved over to hand him his tea before sipping at her own and looking at the screen - which was in some language she didn't recognize.

"You don't want to talk about the rest of it." He observed.

_"I hate that he's right most of the time."_

"Not really." She admitted. "It's sort of personal. The ghost here was trying to tempt me into helping him but wouldn't tell me who he was. When I asked him he said he was the key to my deepest desires."

"That seems a bit strange." Naru agreed, watching her as he sipped at his tea. "What is it he was trying to tempt you with?"

She blushed at the question and couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. "I'd rather not say."

"It might help the case to know what he can do." Naru said, unaware of just why she was being so bashful. He figured it had something to do with a guy but didn't quite realize the extent of her crush on him personally.

"I know…it's just…" She fiddled with the loose fabric of the leg on her pajama's, wishing she would have still been asleep. "He said he could make you be nice. I thought that was fairly tempting."

It wasn't a complete lie…not the truth either but certainly not a lie.

_"Does she think that little of me?"_ He pondered with a small flicker of surprise on his face. _"There has to me more to it than that."_

She did say it was her deepest desire after all…and him simply having a little better manners seemed rather silly for something such as that.

"Is that all?" He tried to be polite about it.

_"As she apparently thinks I'm offensive most of the time." _He was a bit bitter.

She considered nodding but this was all playing out too close to what she dreamed for her taste. Apparently this ghost knew them all better than she, at least, was comfortable with.

"What else happened?" He had stopped staring at his screen when she'd mentioned the issue with rudeness and started watching her. It certainly made it easier to read her body language, though she usually acted uncomfortable or morally outraged so he didn't know much more than it was the former of those two.

"I…he told me he could get you to um…" She hesitated, this really wasn't how she wanted to confess her feelings. "To go with me."

Naru wasn't a stupid young man by any means but he could be occasionally dense like anyone else, the question was more surprise than anything else. "What do you mean?"

"Like date me." She sighed and started to head away. "Never mind."

She stopped when he caught her hand but she didn't turn around, determined that he wouldn't see the tears threatening to fall down her face. They stood there in an awkward silence that seemed to go on far longer than it actually did.

"Mai." he seemed hesitant to speak more than her name. For once he was at a loss as to what he should do. "Why wouldn't you just ask me if that's what you wanted?"

It was the most logical question and it's the one he asked.

"That would never work." She shrugged a little bit and remained turned away from him.

He had to admit that she was probably right…if she'd of simply asked him to go somewhere he likely would have blown her off and not thought too much about it. He assumed that she liked him a little bit - what woman wouldn't? He never would have guessed it extended this far.

"Can I go back to bed now?" She asked. "I'm tired."

It was a lie. They both knew it. She'd slept more than anyone else in two days than anyone else had in three. Naru frowned a bit, he didn't want to just let her wander off and be heartbroken. He wasn't sure what he should do but despite what she might think he did care about her wellbeing.

"Mai." He repeated her name a little more softly. "I'll go out with you once this job is over and we get back to the office. All right?"  
She glanced back in surprise at that statement, he seemed his usual serious self. It wasn't much but it was certainly something.

_"Is this the example the ghost mentioned?"_ Mai wondered as she watched him. Unlike the dream he still seemed his usual serious self.

"Unless you'd rather we didn't." He added, he didn't smile but there was an edge of teasing in his voice.

"No, it's fine. Just…" She paused just a moment. "Could you not tell everyone about it? Especially Masako?"

"I don't have a problem with that." He nodded. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'm fine." She offered a small smile, trying to be herself as much as possible in the odd new circumstances.

"Are you really tired?"

"No, not really." She shook her head in the negative. _"This could be another dream."_

"Good, then you can sit down and help for a while." He replied as he turned back to his computer screen.

_"No, this one's real."_

She frowned a little at him, waiting until she knew for certain he wasn't paying attention to give a small smile, she had to hope it wasn't just the work of some spirit. "I'm going to go get a shower before Masako wakes up and take over the bathroom. I'll be right back."

She darted from the mood in an obviously cheerier mood and once the door closed he glanced shortly after her.

_"Her hearts deepest desire?" _He couldn't help but smile a bit, even for someone with an ego as great as his it was still the greatest of compliment. _"Just what did she see I wonder…"_

Though that thought lead him to the fact that the ghost could not only effect peoples dreams but sense their innermost thoughts. What lengths might some individuals go to to attain the promises this spirit could offer?

That explained the murders and possibly even the suicide - if this spirit could convince people it was some sort of god then there was little he wasn't capable of influencing even in strong willed individuals. Was he offering the same promises to other members of the group? Who amongst them would take the things he presented?

Bou had been possessed but Naru doubted he would have let the spirit into his body willingly. He and John were the least likely to fall prey to the false assurances of this ghost. Mai hadn't agreed to anything as far as he could tell, Lin would probably have some protection because of his Shiki. Masako had a good defense in that she knew that ghosts weren't capable of the things this one had been saying he was so far. Ayako and Yasuhara were the most uncertain of the troupe…and then himself.

"I know it's not real." He shrugged a little, unconcerned for himself in that right. He typed a few more keys in, beginning to read the information they had on ghosts that affected dreams, already not thinking much of the small outing he'd promised Mai as he got busy with his work.

**End Chapter**

I've always loved just how prideful Naru is. It's awesome. I'm moving the plot along but I already have many ideas for the future of this fiction. I can't really give an estimate of how long it will be yet. Depends on the ideas I come with for things as I go along.

_-Aura_

To my reviewers:

_Miss.Margaret_ - Thank you for the compliments. Sorry about the grammar thing, it's never been one of my strong points and it doesn't help that some things have even changed a little sense I was in school. At least according to some of my friends.

_Miss Koneko_ - I try to keep track of hours over the different days I work on a video so I guess I assumed other people do too. I'll look forward to your next video - the ones I've done for ghost hunt weren't quite as clean. And the electrical short was for a reason heh - not saying what that is yet - but good call.

_HarunoRin_ - Yeah, Naru is one of the most difficult characters to keep IC in this fan fiction for me so I can understand your sentiment. And yes, ice wall Naru was being kinda mean.

_Ayjah_ - Yeah, it's one of those Love-Hate relationships for sure.

_LifeABitchToMe_ - Thank you, I am doing my best to keep things close to what might be an actual plot in the anime.

_Hiya24_ - You didn't have to wait too long. The next chapter might be a little longer though cause I'm heading to Kara later today with my guild on WoW. (You'd only understand that if you play the game.) So I won't have as much time to work on fiction stuffs.


	6. Chapter Six: History

**Chapter Six:** _History_

**January - Day 7**

A day had passed with no major events and everyone just doing research and setting up the base in the cafeteria area. People were kept busy enough that the lack of activity was appreciated. No one acted strange and no more dreams had bothered Mai - much to the chagrin of the rest who were hoping that this would be over sooner than later with the new year approaching in Japan.

"Well, the area that Mai was leaning toward is the one that has the heaviest levels of disturbances from temperature to electric problems to odd sounds and movements when people are or aren't around. Though no ones had any dreams with offers of various kinds except for her, which leads me to believe that the ghost needs to somehow rest after using his abilities." Naru explained as he looked over the rest of his members.

"It might only be able to effect her." Ayako commented, glancing at the girl. "Her abilities are fairly unique."

Lin shook his head, saving his boss from the need to explain. "If that were the case we doubt people would have started acting so strange before, we think that the ghost somehow tricked the man that killed everyone into doing so and then killing himself."

"So why did he just make Bou slam things like the Incredible Hulk? And didn't go after anyone else at all?" Yasuhara asked, sipping at some coffee he'd made as he watched the rest.

Bou frowned at being compared to the brainless monster from the American comics.

"We aren't sure yet but my guess would be he knew that the offers he made the other people wouldn't work on a monk and a priestess so he just possessed the larger one in hopes of removing the smaller." Naru replied to him. "It still leaves us with the fact that an exorcism without more knowledge is probably more dangerous than just letting him stay where he is."

"We have to do something though." Bou was the one to protest, he'd probably been the most personally injured by the ghost. "Before it gets worse."

Masako was healing up well and she seemed far less concerned than the monk did about the scene - that or she was just unwilling to show her disturbance. Probably more of a mixture of the two - she'd suffered attacks in the past because of ghosts possessing people. That probably made her a little more adjusted to such things but you could never fully become muted toward being beaten up obviously.

"Unfortunately things getting worse might be the only way to figure out who this person could be, there simply isn't enough information and Mai hasn't had anymore dreams about the job." Naru replied with a small shrug. "We should be fairly safe thanks to the charms that were handed out but it's only a matter of time before he'll act again."

"So we just wait for him to do something? Seems dangerous if he can sense peoples thoughts." Masako had to disagree on that point with Naru.

"I don't want to wait." Naru replied with a shake of his head. "I want to send someone in the classroom without their ward and see what he does."

"You want to use someone as bait?" Yasuhara commented with a chuckle. "Count me out, I'd rather not add having been possessed to my resume."

"I would do it myself but Lin wouldn't allow it, nor would it be wise for him to with his Shiki being at his command." Naru replied. "So I need a volunteer."

"I can." Masako was the first to reply. "I normally act as a channel for spirits so I think I'd be the most prepared."

"All right, I've already had a mat moved in there in case you have to wait for a while for a response." Naru replied, unconcerned if the priestess had to spend the night in the classroom. Perhaps a little vengeance for whatever she was always holding over him.

She considered him but just nodded, she'd make him pay for it later. "We should start as soon as possible then. I'd prefer John accompany this time, I think I'd be able to take his punches a little easier."

John rubbed his hair and shrugged helplessly, following after the priestess with an apologetic look toward Bou given the insult toward him that she was showing.

"Masako." Mai started to come the monks defense but he paused her by putting a hand on her arm.

"Don't worry about it Mai." He said seriously. "It's her way of dealing with what happened. Let her be…"

Mai looked after where they left and back to her friend. "I still don't think she needed to say something like that."

"Masako isn't as nice as Mai." Ayako observed to Yasuhara with a chuckle exchanged between them when Mai started blushing. "She's a lot less modest too."

"Shhhhh." Mai shook her head at the two teasing her. "That's not nice."

"Any idea how long it'll take?" Bou asked Naru and Lin as the other three played.

"Could be instant. Might not happen at all. I expect it will be fairly quickly though." Naru answered as he watched the screen in front of him.

John and Masako walked in and he waved at her before they exchanged a few words and he left her inside. After she took a deep breath she set the paper with her charm alight with a small book of matches. When it burned up she sat in one of the desks that remained after Bou's rampage and opened a book to wait.

"What if it's days?" Mai asked, hoping if she changed the subject back to the problem at hand they'd leave her be for a while.

"We need something to work with." Lin answered. "Masako had an idea of what she was getting into when she volunteered. We brought in a couch if you want to try to get some rest and possible get one of your dreams."

_"At least it's not Naru ordering me to sleep this time."_

"Good idea. Lay down for a while." Naru added.

_"I always think too soon." _Mai sighed and moved over to the couch, laying down and closing her eyes even if she wasn't feeling particularly tired. Listening to the others speak as she did her best to relax. _"The visions always seem to come if they're meant to if I'm tired or not."_

She sometimes wondered if her power counted as turning her into a narcoleptic.

"Things aren't going well." The voice wasn't one she recognized but definitely made her open her eyes again. She was in a much larger bed with a canopy over it, thin curtains were pulled back and a male figure was pacing not far from her but she couldn't see more than a silhouette despite all the other detail around her. It was a very well furnished bedroom for the older time period she was dreaming about, exceptionally rich in nature. "Are you listening?"

"Yes." She said, sitting up with a wave of drowsiness and holding her head to keep dizziness from following. "What's wrong?"

"He's going to hurt her again." the man seemed almost frantic as he paced. Very agitated. "He always hurts the people around him, haven't you heard the rumors? She never fell off of a horse - do you have any idea how long Claire has been riding!? She's been on horses almost as long as she's been walking. No. He gave her those bruises."

"Who did, who is Claire?" Mai asked, trying to remain focused on getting all the information she could.

"Claire De Parviton? Your lady, you certainly have been drinking a lot again if you don't remember her first name." The guy was frowning at her, she couldn't see him - wasn't even looking in fact - but she just knew. "And her betrothed, that useless trash Caldwell…we need to get to her before they marry…kidnap her and take her away from here to Florence. He wouldn't look there…we can…"

The dizziness came despite her attempts to ward it off and she felt herself slip from the edge of the bed, unable to pick up anymore words that came to her. She was expecting to feel herself hit the carpeted floor when she was grabbed and saved slamming into the floor.

The whole scene had changed again and she was outside, it was cooler but in a way that was a comfortable temperature. She was wearing a nice gown as if she'd come from the dance inside and it was Dream Naru that had caught her. He settled her on her feet with a kind smile.

"You should be more careful dearest." He said, reaching out to lightly touch her nose. "It's surprising you haven't broken your neck trying to climb in the trees for apples. That's what servants are for."

"They aren't as sweet if you don't pick them yourself." She replied with a small pout, not really controlling her own words.

_"This is like the other time…I'm just playing through something that happened already."_

He laughed a little at her comment, reaching over to push some hair from her face. "I could never have imagined a life with you my lady. When my parents told me my marriage was arranged I feared I wouldn't be able to stand the person I met."

She felt herself blush. "I felt the same Lord Caldwell when I first learned of our arrangement. All the rumors about you were so dark and frightening but now that I've met you I don't fear for myself at all."

"Except when you are falling out of trees." He commented and put her arm in his to walk her through the gardens, they were amazingly pretty but she couldn't make them out well, instead her attention seemed to be centered on the Dream Naru playing this scene out with her.

"It doesn't matter when I fall out of trees now, you'll be there to catch me." She grinned playfully and pulled him further along. "Come, I'd like to put my feet in the water for a while."

"Other than when you hurt yourself last week." He answered her as seriously as he could muster. "and as long as it's not for long. I don't want you to catch cold on top of already having some bruises for the wedding."

"Shhhhhh!" she insisted, glancing around for anyone that might be nearby. Turning back only after she was certain no one overheard and smacking his shoulder lightly. "You aren't suppose to tell anyone I fell out of that tree, I fell off my horse…"

"I still think the truth is fine." He chuckled at her animated reply to his comments. "Why not just tell people what really happened?"

She took her shoes off and settled on the edge of the tiny pier built out over the lake behind the estate to slip them in the water. "Because mother told me not to climb them an hour or so before it happened."

"Seems you can't listen to anyone even when the warnings are true." He winked at her, standing nearby as opposed to sitting in the water with her.

"You don't want to put your feet in too?" She glanced over her shoulder to ask him, flirting away.

He stayed quiet a moment and was about to give in when a runner from the castle came up to him. "There is a problem at the dance sir. Two of the guests have gotten into a fight with one another and demand your presence."

"My lady, I'm afraid I'll have to return to that idea a bit later. I'll leave my page with you but please don't stay so long you get yourself ill." He moved over and kissed her hand before heading back toward the estate, the dream fading a little out and back to black again.

_"This isn't the whole story."_ A whisper told her, it wasn't a voice she recognized and she couldn't see anything else, just hear him. It was a male voice. "I can't tell you the whole story yet."

"Who are you?" Mai asked now that she could speak for herself again.

_"I'm no one anymore, but if you must call me something…call me Echo."_

"Echo. Are you one of the people I've seen in this dream?"

There was a pause and it drew on long enough that she thought he might have left.

_"Yes."_

"Which one though?" She asked, not sure if he was playing the part of the Dream Naru or the man she couldn't make out.

_"I can't stay much longer to speak now. Miss doctor is in danger."_

"Dr. Morris? How?"

_"Right now…wake up Mai Taniyama."_

Her body at least listened to the command while her mind was a little confused. She could hear the others talking about the lack of anything happening with Masako and forced herself to sit-up, slightly dizzy and shaking her head.

"Dr. Morris." She coughed some, her throat dry after the dream. "You need to find her. Something isn't right, she's in danger."

Naru looked to Lin and then toward his varied screens, he hadn't been paying most of them much mind and pointed at the one for the library they had here. The two of them ran off with Bou in toe after a glance at it, Mai shuffled to the screens despite her lightheadedness to only blink horrified at the scene before her.

**End Chapter**

Yes, I do like cliffhangers…though to be fair the show also loved them. I also felt that was a fitting place to end the chapter with what was going on. Kara went super poor so we called early and I figured I'd get this chapter up before I went and passed out. Next chapter will be Naru heavy - ooh!

_-Aura_

To my reviewers:

_HarunoRin_ - Heh, who knows? I can't say, but his ego is fun to write. He's the most difficult but the most fun to write for.

_Ecyoj06 _- The kiss wasn't from the real Naru, though the date invitation was…but I won't say the motivation behind it just yet. As far as crumble and fall? I don't think it'd be -that- bad.

_Ayjah_ - I like that idea. In another fiction sometime I should have him stuck floating in some place as a punishment from random ghost B. Thank you for the review.

_Miss.Margaret _- Is he intimidating?

_LifesABitchToMe_ - Lol, no, Mai is not lucky enough for that. Perhaps later?

_Hiya24_ - Heh, I do have a life off the computer. Manga reading for example I do with books :). I also play table top RPGs and I only play wow a couple nights a week (usually when we raid) or to log on just to talk to my hubby while he's in Japan. I have spent a lot of time on my computer lately though working on fanfiction to get it up at a awesome rate. Sometime though I'll get distracted with other real life stuff and updates won't be as common. Thanks for the compliment!


	7. Chapter Seven: Darkness

**Chapter Seven:**_ Darkness_

**January - Day 7 - Evening**

Dr. Morris was shoved down on the desk, being held by Mr. Halliford at her throat. Somehow the much older man didn't seem to be having an issue keeping her pressed into place. Mai wasn't sure where the switch was to turn on the sound to the room they were in so she just watched with the rest in slight horror as he started to run his hand up her skirt on the inner part of her thigh. He was saying something but given the lack of sound it was impossible to tell what it was.

Tears were running along Dr. Morris' cheeks, dripping along her face as she begged without sound to be let go. She was struggling with little avail, trying with all her strength to push his arm from her neck, with both of her hands scratching at him arm for freedom. Even with the blood welling from the scraps she was making he still had a dark grin on his face and a leering joy in his eyes…none of it seemed like it should exist yet it was playing out before their eyes.

Lin, Naru, and Bou busted into the room, though the old man turned on them with the doctor still in one hand, her legs now flailing from where she was in the air. Naru yelled something and then he actually threw the woman at him. The female projectile slammed hard into the leader of SPR bringing them both tumbling to the floor. Then Mr. Halliford lept onto the desk with a long bought of laugher that could only have been wicked given the manic gleam he held.

Bou started motioning and was likely chanting to try to exorcise the obviously possessed old man, stepping up and narrowing his eyes as he concentrated. Lin was helping the woman that had been tossed like a rag doll at Naru, the narcissist frowning at having been knocked over by her and disentangling himself.

After another moment Bou finished his incantation and a reddish orb seemed to flee from the old man, once it was gone his weak body swayed and fell. Bou caught him before gravity brought him completely to the floor from the desk, they were exchanging words the rest couldn't hear and Mai sat herself down - still dizzy from when she woke up.

_"The red orb…was that the red dot I saw in my dream? So is that the spirit? How does he keep changing from seeming somewhat decent to such a horrible person?"_ She blinked a little as she realized.

"There are two spirits here."

"Are you sure?" Ayako was the only one still in the room with her, in the middle of the scene somewhere John had run off to join the others.

"I think so."

"Why?" the shine maiden asked, she'd been about to join the rest of their troupe with the incident with the doctor and old man when she paused at the announcement of multiple spirits.

"I had a vision about two different men." She replied. "But I should tell the story with everyone around. We should wait until they get back."

"Wait for what?" Naru asked as he returned, having left Lin, John, and Bou to deal with the latest casualties of this job.

"Mai had another of her dreams." Ayoko answered with a shrug. "Hopefully it'll give us some more clues. This is getting pretty dangerous, if Mai hadn't warned us when she did…"

The rest of that thought went unspoken, everyone knew well enough what probably would have happened…

"Go ahead and explain, we can relay it to the others later." Naru answered, settling at his desk and opening his laptop to take notes of what Mai had to say. "While it's fresh in your mind we need to get it recorded."

She explained the dream rather well using as much detail as she could manage to remember, though she left out the fact that Naru was one of it's members. Giving the names she picked up and what she saw and heard to the best of her ability. Though once she finally finished getting drilled by Naru for even smaller details the rest of the group returned, having gotten both Mr. Halliford and Dr. Morris the care they needed after the incident. The story being repeated almost twice, almost immediately back to back, when Lin, John, and Bou returned to them.

"I know it's late but a couple of volunteers for researching the names Mai mentioned would be nice." Naru commented to the group. "The sooner we figure out what's going on the better we will be. I also think someone should stay with Dr. Morris and make sure she's alright after what happened."

"I'll do it." Bou answered, he was still animated to do all he could after his earlier possession.

"I will stay up with him. Everyone else get some rest." Lin added before anyone got a chance to join in.

"I will go and speak with Dr. Morris. She is of my church and I might be able to offer her at least some condolences for the attack." John answered with a serious look. "If this keeps up though they're going to need to get people evacuated out. A lot of the people here are scientists and don't feel the need to hold onto the protective charms they were given. Mr. Halliford had discarded his as nonsense - that is why he ended up possessed. We need to get to the bottom of this soon."

"Yeah." Bou agreed seriously as he typed in one of the names, getting to work already. "We'll need to speak to everyone in the morning about that. Do you think you are up for it Yasuhara?"

"Yeah." The student nodded. "I figure after today it shouldn't be too hard to get people to hold onto them. I should be able to convince most of them, but I can't speak for all…depends on how skeptical they are really."

"I'll come and try to help." Ayako volunteered. "Though I'm gonna try to get some rest. Don't forget to keep an eye on Masako in her room."

Those that were going to bed headed back to the small apartment they were sharing and exchanged goodnights before they retired to their individual rooms. Each having concerns of their own as they prepared to sleep for the evening…

**Scene Switch**

Naru looked at his surroundings with a bit of curiosity, he was standing on the snow covered ground outside of the Project. He recognized it as a dream immediately given how little he actually felt the cold. It was similar to the one that Mai had told him about, not snowing but sort of difficult to see as it was daytime instead of night and the light was reflecting from all the white. In the distance he noted that there was something darker amongst a type of ice cliff…likely the one Mai had mentioned.

He walked along and got to the distant area faster than he should have, walking up to find that the dark figure was just his own reflection in the sheer ice. Dressed in his usual black outfit as he had to admire the amount of detail that went into the illusion.

"You don't have to show me these pointless images if you want to communicate with me." Naru said in hopes the spirit would simply speak to him as opposed to playing cryptic games. "I can see this for what it really is."

"I should have expected as much from you." At first he couldn't tell where the voice came from but it was shockingly familiar.

Then his eyes widened in surprise when he saw his reflection on the side of the mirrored surface of the building was the one speaking, smiling at him, moving on it's own.

_"Gene…"_

His reflection frowned lightly back at him. "I offer my condolences for his murder. I can however offer you his bodies whereabouts and even the name of the woman that killed him."

Naru's fingers curled slowly into a fist at the words, getting a little angry at the fact that this thing had somehow gotten into his mind and memories so well.

"Do you doubt me then?" It asked, with his brothers voice.

He punched the wall that was making his reflection though it didn't disturb it other than the small crack he'd caused in the otherwise clear surface and nor did the image move when he did. "How dare you…don't show me him."

"And would this form suit you better then Oliver? " This time the voice had changed and a smiling Mai was standing near him. "Or should I keep it more formal and call you Mr. Davis? I guess if I'm in this body I'm showing you I should call you Naru."

When he glanced back up to the wall his reflection was him again, the illusion changed at an instant to whatever it was the spirit felt like showing him at the time. It didn't help to ease any of his irritation, it was playing with him.

"This is all just a game to you. You've been making the people here attack one another with these empty promises." Naru commented back, forcing himself to be calmer - this thing just wanted to make him angry.

"Funny that for someone so intelligent you are so incorrect." the fake Mai continued to smile at him and as much as he wanted to strike out at the spirit he couldn't bring himself to. "The one attacking people wasn't me. I don't want to be here any longer. I want to move on. To be returned to her… If you can free me I'll give you anything you want."

"That's a tall order. How is it you could give me anything if you have already passed on?" Naru was keeping his temper as much in check as he could manage. Watching the image of Mai in front of him skeptically. "You couldn't give me anything now…you just use the memories and thoughts of someone to create an image so they'll take offers you can't back up."

"Your brother is right. You have so little faith." She reached up and ruffled his hair with a hand. "Does the whole world now require proof for anything mystical? You work so much with the supernatural yet you can't believe that I'm capable of aiding your search."

"Don't touch me." He replied, backing away but pausing before he slapped her hand. He knew it wasn't really Mai but he still hesitated.

"Would this form be better? I figure you'd like the chance to strike at her with all the blackmail she's put you through." The female body shifted just a little and the clothing changed as the hair grew darker. The spirit changing it's chosen form to Masako.

"If you are through mocking me could you leave me to sleep in peace." He was digging into his hands so deeply with his nails they were starting to bleed.

"Natalie Hei. She's now twenty-seven and lives with her husband, 29, and twin daughters, 7 months, in the small villiage of Hetsuin. She has three dogs, each about two years old, bulldogs, and a single cat that's twelve." The spirit listed faithfully, offering a mysterious smile. "The lake twenty miles out of the small town, northeast to be more exact, from where her residence is; that is where your brother's body remains. If you need more information I suppose I could give you her exact blood-type and birth date but with the machines you have you should be able to find her perfectly fine."

Naru was quiet, he had heard it all, even filed it safely away in the vault of his mind so he could indeed check it later and see if this spirit was telling the truth or not. "What else then do you want from me?"

"It's what you'll want from me." The fake Masako replied, holding a sleeve over her mouth playfully. The spirit could play the parts he chose so well it was bothersome. "Your brother's spirit is still ambient in the world. It will be for a little while longer. If you will agree to free me from this plane I'll put you into contact with him."

"I…" Naru paused, blinking as he realized he was speaking aloud to himself in his room. He hadn't even noticed a transition from being asleep to being awake. Just what was this spirit?

_"Morning already?"_ He looked at the gentle glow of the digital clock built into the wall, he'd even slept in. _"Could it be true? I've been searching all this time and could it be this simple? Could this thing let me talk to Gene?"_

**End Chapter**

I realize this chapter is a little short compared to the rest and I'm sorry but I felt like that was the best place to end it before Naru went and did information checks or the like. Next chapter will release some more of the background of what is going on.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

_Ayjah_ - Yeah, Mai is pretty nice for all the crap she's been through. You'd think she'd be jumpy and nervous all the time. And I dunno about Masako - it somehow doesn't justify turning into a bitch.

_Ecyoj06_ - Mai wasn't built to be calculating really was she? Though her instincts do her well.

_HarunoRin_ - Hehe, poor Dr Morris got felt up by a possessed old guy…I think she's got the short end of the stick so far this fiction.

_Miss Koneko _- Didn't have to wait -too- long.


	8. Chapter Eight: Antipathy

**Chapter Eight:** _Antipathy_

**January - Day 8**

They were all gathered to the base in the morning and sipping at coffee or juice as they settled to listen to whatever it was Bou and Lin had to tell them. The Chinese spell caster and monk both looked fairly tired after their sleepless night but they had a small pile of notes to show for it.

Naru was typing away at his computer, while the rest watched Bou who was looking over the notes and started to brief them on what had been discovered.

"Okay so after a lot of research we found out what Mai informed us of we tried looking up some people with those names and discovered a rare reference in the area of Wales in England. The reference was that the people were believed to be the reason behind a fairy tale told in that area." Bou started, stifling a yawn before he picked up again.

"The fairy tale wasn't overly complicated and involved two men either fighting over or being somehow interested in a lady whose name remained Claire in all the various versions. The men's names changed often, especially that of the protagonist. Though basically one was a childhood friend of the lady and the other was her betrothed. In some versions the two that were to be married met by accident when he caught her falling out of a tree or off a horse, in others the marriage was arranged but when they met it was love at first sight."

"Whatever the version of how they got together or the names used the old friend was amazingly jealous and the lord that Claire was to marry was always rumored to be a magician of some kind. The friend often either believed that the lord was going to hurt the woman he thought should be his or already was hurting her. At the party to celebrate their marriage the following day."

"It never states why the party was held the day before as opposed the more traditional party after the marriage occurs." Lin added a comment and Bou nodded to him.

"The friend drugs Claire in hopes of carrying her away to what he believed was safety." Bou continued sipping at his own coffee in his sleepiness.

The group listened, Mai considering the similarities to what she experienced as the monk spoke.

"Well, at this point the stories change a little. In some he poisoned her on purpose so that she could never be taken away from him. In others he accidentally over drugged her because he simply wasn't aware of the correct dosage or in rarer cases that she was actually allergic to the plants he used to make the sleeping serum. Whatever the path the lady Claire ends up dying and her friend follows her. He's either killed by the grieving lord or he kills himself out of guilt. The lord meanwhile in his anger and hatred for the friend's actions casts a horrible curse on the friend that somehow inadvertently ties him to some item of the ladies that he put the poison or drugs in."

"In most cases it was a necklace." Lin commented again with a nod from the monk.

"Right." Bou agreed. "Though in a couple of the stories it was just a glass that she drank from but in one the poison was worked into her dress she wore to the party. The lord couldn't bring himself to get rid of the item, or even the body of his beloved depending on the specific plot. Yet, the spirit tied to it continued to haunt him and eventually caused such trouble that he had to flee his lands rumored to be a witch of some kind. Where he fled is never really recorded."

"That is a horrible fairy tale." Ayako observed with a raised eyebrow.

"Probably why we never heard of it." Yasuhara shrugged some.

"The moral was suppose to be something like jealousy and revenge will destroy you." Bou commented with a shrug. "I figure it was probably lost also given it's fairly striking similarity to Romeo and Juliet…at least as far as the ending goes. I wouldn't be surprised if that was where Shakespeare got the initial idea for his tragic ending."

"It dates back that far then?" John asked curiously. "I've never dealt with a ghost that old. How did they end up here?"

"We can't be sure but we think that when the lord in the story sailed he wasn't so much trying to escape persecution - he easily could have wandered the coasts. More that he was trying to take the dangerous spirit he'd made somewhere where it couldn't hurt anyone else." Bou replied. "Which would possibly mean we're dealing with one spirit that's on our side and one that is bound to an item we have no easy way of finding." Bou finished with a sigh and sat back down. "It certainly is the strangest case we've done in my opinion. I think it's a matter of figuring out the item and doing what we can to find it."

"What is our next step then Naru?" Mai turned to her boss but he seemed oblivious to them, watching his own computer screen as if he hadn't heard a word of what they said.

_"It was true."_ Naru in fact hadn't heard much of the tale, having been doing research of his own. He even had a picture of the woman that had murdered his brother in front of him, a few years older but definitely her…smiling away with a slightly older man, each holding a baby…all as if she'd never backed over his own twin.

"Naru?"

When Mai asked again he became aware everyone was waiting on him and looked back up. "What?"

"What do you want us to do next?" Yasuhara repeated.

"Are you all right?" Lin asked him seriously.

"I am fine, I didn't rest well." He lied to cover the fact that he'd missed most of what was said. "Let me look over the notes."

They handed him the pile of papers and exchanged curious glances.

"I think Naru might have met his match with this ghost." Ayako smirked some with her comment. "Can't Masako find this…if it's tied so heavily to the spirit she should be able to sense it. Obviously sitting as bait isn't doing anything. I'm sure she'd like the chance to do something else."

"That's a good idea." Naru uncharacteristically agreed. John and Yasuhara, escort Masako around and see if she can find an area that seems like it might be what we're looking for. Bou and Lin go ahead and get some rest. Ayako can help Mai and I continue research into any ships known to have been lost in this area."

They all exchanged more curious looks when he went along with the suggestion, it wasn't common for him to give orders without somehow being condescending and he seemed very distracted. Mai went over and whispered to Ayako as everyone went about doing their latest tasks…the shrine maiden excusing herself for a moment.

"Naru?" Mai asked with a hint of worry in her voice. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." He replied without looking up, that at least was normal for him. "You should get to work."

"You just seem really distracted today…are you sure?" she pressed.

"I said I'm fine." He snapped a little, losing his patience much faster than usual. "If you aren't going to help then don't bother me."

Mai paused at being spoken to so harshly and frowned at him. "Fine. Search things up on your own you…you…"

She ran off in whatever door was closest just to get away from him without finishing the sentence, ready to cry for her trouble in being worried about him. Just taking whatever tunnels she could to get as far away from her crush as possible.

He had paused for a moment to look after her, only to find Ayako frowning at him upon her return with her hands on her hips.

_"Pathetic Narcissist?"_ his mind finished for Mai.

"You need to be nicer to her." Ayako chided him and went to go after the young girl.

_"Does everyone think I'm so horrible? Well, Ayako's opinion doesn't matter…"_ He was tempted to go after her but he was still doing his own research on his brothers whereabouts and shook his head. _"I'll make it up to you later Mai. I need to do this now."_

**Scene Switch**

Mai had gotten herself completely lost after five minutes of running away from where Naru had been…this part of the Project seemed like it might be an unfinished part of the recreation area. There was a small theater and several chairs. They really had put an amazing amount of detail and thought into this place. She climbed onto the stage and smiled a little at some of the unfinished sets as she rubbed away the tears on her cheeks.

She hadn't expected such a place and chuckled at a old sofa set back behind the stage itself settling herself down. It wasn't like she would be missed by anyone anyway, she'd never been good at research so spending some time by herself wasn't so bad. She yawned a little and sprawled herself out on the old furniture, idly pondering a nap to see if she could get some more information. It was the only thing she was starting to feel at all useful for.

_"Mai Taniyama…"_

The whisper made her sit up suddenly, looking around and suddenly regretting her small break from everyone else.

_"…you want to play a part in all this don't you…"_

She got up slowly and then called out in fear when she was shoved back onto the couch, eyes wide now as her hands gripped the cushion below her nervously…no one knew where she was.

_"…he doesn't deserve you. Women always want the ones that can't truly appreciate them."_

"I'm fine." Mai said nervously. "I kinda knew what I was getting into."

_"Yeah, can't help the ones we love…the usual nonsense. Next thing you'll say is his bad attitude isn't his fault."_

"I didn't say that." Mai slowly tried to get up again but then felt herself being held down.

_"You leaving so soon? Gonna go give them more information so they can try to kill me. You are working with that damn black-magic user just like all the rest."_

"I don't know what your talking about." Mai lied, though she was starting to get frantic as she felt the buttons on her shirt loosening. "Why are you doing this?"

_"Men are just toys to women. Why should you be any different to me? You are just another of the fools that fell for that abusive bastard…"_

"I didn't fall for anyone." Mai answered, a little confused, squirming now. "Let me go! You are the only one being abusive here!"

She was stopped there, the unseen force was holding her throat, making it difficult to breath.

_"No."_ she thought helplessly as it forced her eyes closed and she fought to breath. This had somehow turned into the nightmare she kept having before she came out here. _"No. Help me!"_

_"No one is coming for you girl."_ It mocked her. _"They'll just find you here dead and then all sorts of fun will begin…who should I go after next?"_

_"Someone..."_ She thought mildly as she started to lose the ability to struggle, the lack of oxygen getting to her muscles. _"Naru…"_

Then she could move and breath all at once, the force had been somehow knocked free of her and she gulped for air, the slight stinging of cool air still refreshing for her starved lungs. She opened her eyes but things were fuzzy given she was still dizzy.

She was standing even though she didn't remember getting up, a frightening vision was before her now. A man wrapped in dark red and black flames, his hellish gaze burning itself into her and making her want to shutter and run away, yet her body wouldn't move as she told it to.

_**"Get out of here."**_ The voice was familiar yet she couldn't place it. It seemed to be coming from all around her. _**"I promise you decades of pain if you don't leave this place now."**_

Whatever it was the other creature hissed angrily at her and spat to the floor, though there was nothing there. Then it fled, passing through the ceiling to wherever it happened to be retreating to. She was still ready to feint as she continued to take in as much air as she could manage while half watching the empty room around her. Wavering and settling herself back to the couch, putting a hand to her burning chest.

She was so tired that she was starting to fall asleep on the couch, she was about to pass out when she realized the voice had been her own.

**January - Day 9**

Naru came into the cluttered stage room by himself, rushing through the various isles as he searched around for the missing girl. Mai had never come back at all and they didn't find out until this morning that she hadn't shared her room with Masako the night before. He had sent everyone to different areas to begin searching for her or to reference what video cameras were working in the Project.

He walked a little more slowly when he noted her laying on the couch between some other sets, leaning down to jostle her awake. Blue eyes widening when he touched her and she was cold.

_"Am I too late?"_

**End Chapter**

Not quite as nifty a chapter as last time but needed to get some more plot points out for folks. Writing Naru doing a 'huh what?' was sorta funny for me. This chapter knocks me over 20,000 words! Niftyness. Now to aim for that 40,000.

_-Aura_

To my reviewers:

_Ayjah_ - Dunno, but honestly I've never liked her character much so I probably won't develop anything for her - at least for this fiction. But who knows? Thanks, I just couldn't see him striking even a fake Mai.

_Ecyoj06_ - He's still being stupid and he did waver a lot…but come on. And Gene can't contact Naru directly to the best of my knowledge.

_Gaarafaves_ - Thanks, hope you keep enjoying it.

_Hiya24_ - It's a fun fiction to write. I'd of had this update up sooner but I kept getting error messages yesterday.

_Miss koneko_ - You are welcome.

_HarunoRin_ - What will Naru have to do! insert mysterious music here


	9. Chapter Nine: Opening

**Chapter Nine:** _Opening_

**January - Day 9**

"Mai."

He paused then, letting her arms go as shock registered on his face, she was cold to the touch…was he to late?

_"If I hadn't gotten so distracted with other things…Mai you deserve better than this." _

He reached up to check her for a pulse when she opened her eyes and blinked at him with a confused look at her touching his neck. "Naru?"

"Why didn't you return to the rooms last night?" He asked her angrily after his short scare. _"Stupid question."_

"Huh?" She asked him with the blank look he'd gotten used to getting from her in the time they'd been working together. She sat up after he pulled his arm away from her, putting a hand over her mouth as she failed to stifle a yawn. "What are you talking about?"

He glanced around but then just frowned a little more, it figured that this was the one room without a clock of any kind. "Mai, you've been gone for more than twenty-four hours from when you ran out of the room yesterday."

"Really?" She seemed a little surprised, putting a hand over her eyes and leaning back from another bout of dizziness. "I'm really cold."

"Come on, we need to get back and let everyone know you are okay." Though he didn't actually move, still standing nearby and watching her. _"I am as bad as she thinks."_

"Let me try and clear my head." She answered weakly. "I'm sorry I made everyone worry."

He almost smiled at that comment. She was more concerned about others even when she should be more worried about herself. He took his jacket off and settled it over her shoulders, sitting next to her. "What happened after you ran off yesterday?"

She glanced up with a small blush at him offering his jacket, but pulled it a little closer before she managed to come up with a reply.

"I ran off and I got a little lost before I found this room. I was sitting here when I was attacked by the more aggressive of the two spirits." She explained slowly as she thought about things. Her gaze on her lap, though the memories of what happened didn't bother her as much as they probably should have.

"He was choking me and I think he would have killed me but the other spirit stepped in and scared him off." She shrugged just a little. "After all that I fell asleep. I guess until now when you found me."

There was silence for a time and she was expecting to get chewed out for wandering off on her own and getting herself into such trouble in the first place.

"I'm sorry Mai."

She blinked and immediately looked back up to him, surprised at the apologetic softness in his eyes…she wasn't used to seeing him express much emotion except distain. Her brain had to slowly get around the fact that he'd actually offered her that.

"No, no." She held up her hands and shook her head. "I shouldn't have gotten myself lost and been alone."

"Don't." He interrupted her and she found herself blushing again as she watched him.

_"How am I ever suppose to go on a date with him when I just gape dumbly when he looks at me?"_

"I let myself get distracted with other things, I should have found you much sooner…" Naru said.

_"He's not angry with me…he's angry at himself."_ Mai realized. "Naru…"

"If you are feeling well enough to move now we should head back, everyone is worried." He kept up his habit of interrupting her well enough. She nodded a little, not sure what she could have said anyway she stood up and wobbled a bit, though she managed to steady herself after her boss gave her his arm to use.

Then he put his other arm around her and started to lead her back, she knew she was blushing furiously now, her face was far less cold than the rest of her. Her heart was racing as she walked with him, the rush of being so close enough to help clear her head.

_"Why is he being so nice now?" _She wondered as they made their way back through the small maze of items on the stage. _"No reason to not enjoy it at least."_

She was doing well but was still a bit sluggish and her body wasn't quite reacting like she wanted it too…on the last step down she tripped and basically fell into Naru's arms, the extra step leaving her face hovering just a few inches from his. She blinked once at the situation and it took her a moment to even notice she was blushing again.

_"He really is too handsome for anyone's good."_

He'd also taken a moment to pause, he'd always thought of Mai as attractive on some level. She was a cute girl but he was a little surprised at the sudden appeal she had lingering so close to his lips. The nearly constant blush she possessed his presence had never passed his notice but it was somehow different when she was so near.

There was the slightest whiff of apples in the air. he'd known from some of the other close encounters they had shared that she often used scents of flowers for her perfumes. It was a pleasant change.

Her mahogany gaze was different somehow than when she ran from the room yesterday, yet just the same. Why was he letting this girl, Mai, get to him in such a way?

He leaned forward to kiss her but she turned her head and he ended up kissing her cheek. He shook his head then. _"What is wrong with me?"_

"I'm sorry Mai." He helped her down and then started leading her back out of the area and toward the base again. "I didn't mean to do that."

_"Seems I'm apologizing a lot lately."_

She shook her head a little. "It's okay, when we get back I need to get something to eat. I'm starving after sleeping for a day."

"Are you surprised?" He accepting the change of subject without question. Whatever that odd exchange was he didn't want to dwell on it.

_"What am I doing?"_ Mai frowned a little to herself as she walked with him. _"He was going to kiss me and I turn away?!"_

_**"I apologize Miss Taniyama but I wasn't willing to let my host kiss another man. It was a bit much for me."**_

The voice was in her mind and she stopped outright in the hallway…that was why it was her voice before…the one spirit had possessed her. _"No wonder I'm so cold."_

_**"I'm afraid it couldn't be avoided. It was the only way to get him to leave you alone."**_

"What's wrong?" Naru asked her, eyes serious again…whatever happened earlier wasn't on his mind.

"I'm possessed." She replied, still surprised about the news herself.

He raised his brows at her announcement. "Are you certain?"

She nodded. "Yeah…that's how the other spirit helped me."

"Then why wouldn't he have left you yet?" Naru seemed a little skeptical.

_**"It's not safe yet for me to leave you. Though if you insist I will not stay here unwelcome."**_

"He says it's not safe for him to stop, but he'll leave if I want." Mai translated, though she wasn't too bothered other than the cold that had seemed to invade her entire body.

"Interesting. He can speak to you directly while he's using you as a vessel then? Perhaps this will be a way we can finally get some questions answered." Naru observed. "He at least appears to be the lesser evil of the two ghosts here."

_**"Considering I saved the girl I'm not sure you should call me an evil at all." **_Mai had to blink a little as the voice simply came, it was the same as it'd been before but now she noticed why it was different. Her voice had somehow blended with another - probably the spirits. She was aware of everything when he took over and spoke through her but had little control over it.

She probably would have gotten a little irritated at the puppetry if it wasn't for the slight surprise coming from Naru, this particular case had gotten him to show so much more feeling than any other that Mai had to admit she was starting to like this ghost.

"We'll see how things go." Naru managed right before they got back to base, the rest had been exchanging the fact that they hadn't been able to find her.

Bou and Yasuhara stood up while respectively, Masako and Ayako sat down. John was already standing but the men and Ayako at least smiled at them while Masako sent Mai the female look of death and promise of doom.

She was almost draped in Naru's arms after all.

_"Is it normal to feel this weak? And cold?"_ Mai silently asked the spirit inhabiting her body, glad she didn't have to speak aloud and look sillier than she figured she already would. She couldn't bring herself to blush at Masako's glare, she was too cold.

_**"It is. I have had to expend much energy recently so it is probably a part of the link. I am sorry for the inconvenience."**_ He explained to her in her mind.

_"You saved my life. I'll manage."_ Mai answered him honestly, not sure she could even lie to him.

"Mai. You had everyone worried sick, where were you?" Bou came over and tapped her nose just enough to sting a little but not really hurt. "Man, you are freezing."

"I told you Naru would be the one that found her, you owe me twenty bucks." Yasuhara said and winked to Ayako as he sat back down. The shrine maiden frowning at him for the announcement.

She frowned at Bou for the tap on the nose but let it go when he added his jacket over Naru's for some extra warmth.

"She's possessed." Masako observed, it had taken her a few moments to notice but she was certain there was a second spirit in her rivals body.

"What?" the group blinked and Bou started to dig for his prayer beads when Mai shook her head.

"It's okay. The spirit inside me…he saved me. The other spirit here attacked me and this was the only way he could drive it off." Mai explained quickly before everyone started trying to exorcize her. "He's still here cause he thinks I could still be in danger."

Masako gaped a little as she watched the other girl. "I'm not sure it's safe for you to channel him either. He's got amazing energy around him, I've never seen anything like it."

"Well it'll make the job easier." Lin commented. "We can find out more directly what's going on."

Naru nodded, that had been his thought. After Mai sat down and he'd sent Yasuhara to get her something to eat he sat down and turned to face her as everyone else was already doing.

"So you are the lord from the fairy tale we found?" Naru had assumed that much but wanted everyone to hear it.

_**"Yes." **_The voice got a few surprised looks from her friends, she figured it was easier to let him speak through her for this so she was enjoying the chance to relax and watch. _**"You may call me Echo if it will make things easier."**_

"And the other spirit, he murdered your betrothed several centuries ago?" Bou asked curiously, he at least was fascinated by talking to a…Not-Mai.

Mai's face grew dark, a reaction that was his as opposed to hers. _**"Yes. And as you've read I cursed him…though I suppose that's where I should explain what I can to you."**_

"Weird." Bou commented to John who shrugged back, there was little the priest could say.

"Go ahead." Naru said.

_**"Well, the problem was that I'd never delved much into the darker side of magic and spell I was trying to place on his soul was probably the blackest I've ever touched. I didn't manage to word it exactly as was needed. The plan was to bind him eternally but render him incapable of doing anything but watching the world go on around him. Though as you've seen while he ended up being bound to Claire's necklace he is able to exert his own control on the world around him. I planned to bring him to the hellish ice continent people had spoken of in rumors so that he would be unable to affect others any longer." **_Echo explained through Mai's body, shaking his head a little. _**"Though our boat crashed upon arrival."**_

"You really were a witch." Lin commented, he seemed vaguely impressed.

"Mai's a witch?" Yasuhara asked as he returned with a tray of various breakfast foods for Mai, settling it on a table next to her.

"No." Ayako took this one. "We'll catch you up later."

_**"I was. Though I didn't advertise it people tend to sense such things."**_ Echo/Mai shrugged a small bit, reaching over to pick up the tray and settle it on her lap. _**"I managed to cast spells enough to protect myself from the cold after the loss of the ship but I wasn't able to save any of the crew and I headed inward. The further I could get his spirit away from anyone else the better."**_

"Why not just destroy the necklace?" Ayako asked. "Seems silly to get yourself killed when that was a much easier answer."

_**"I couldn't bring myself to destroy it."**_ The food tray was barely being picked over while Mai/Echo brooded a bit over the story being told. _**"Despite the various tales you've found that necklace was my engagement gift to her. I wanted to take it somewhere else where no one could find it as opposed to harming something that had once symbolized our love."**_

"Stupid." Naru observed. "So you died near here and your body and the necklace are buried."

_**"Call it what you will. I've known others that traveled continents to put their minds to rest." **_Echo/Mai answered him with a small smile. _**"Though you are right. I died close to here and my spirit remained, I'm tied to destroying my beloved's murderer before I can rest myself."**_

"So we all need to go out in that weather?" Bou frowned a little at the new information.

"Count me out." Masako commented. "I'm not going out there."

"Same here." Ayako and Yasuhara agreed at the same time.

"It won't be comfortable but I can come." John offered.

_**"Not needed. I can only extend my protection from his direct influence to one other person than my host. I would think your illustrious leader would want to join her." **_Echo/Mai commented, ignoring outright the dirty look that was received from Masako.

"I suppose so." Naru agreed, shaking his head negatively at the protest he was about to get from Lin.

"Just be careful." Masako warned. "I don't think this spirit is telling us everything."

"We don't have much other choice at this point." Bou commented with a frown of his own. "I'd say we should go with but if any of us fell pray to possession there's no telling what could happen."

"What about the protective wards?" Yasuhara asked. "Why not just bring those?"

"Protective wards can erode over time and the closer to the source the faster they do." Ayako answered for him. "We will all have to wait here for them."

"We'll be fine." Naru answered. "Let's get ready and get this over with."

**End Chapter**

Yes this fiction is Naru/Mai heavy but I did warn up front that it is a Naru/Mai pairing.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

_HarunoRin_ - Heh no new powers for Mai.

_Ayjah_ - Maybe that's what it is lol. She does attract trouble wherever she goes.

_Miss.Margaret_ - Aw, hopefully I helped make your day.

_Ecyoj06_ - I can't see Naru thinking Mai would lie about something like that, simply because of his previous experiences with her. It's not like her to do so and he knows that much at least. And yes, he does sorta need to learn what's important to him.

_LifesABitchToMe_ - Updated.

_Miss Koneko_ - She was possessed, but not by Claire.

_Otaku Nayami_ - At least one more chapter.


	10. Chapter Ten: Negotiation

**Chapter Ten:** _Negotiation_

**January - Day 9**

After getting into more layers of clothes than Mai ever had remembered putting on before any time in her life…and then adding a few more on top of that; they were finally ready to head out into the chill of the freezing temperatures outside. It was funny to see Naru so bundled up, the irritated gleam to his handsome blue eyes was enough to let the rest of the troupe start the jokes about him being in the multi-colored clothing.

"Sorry you didn't have the time to get a black one huh?" Bou chuckled with the rest as Naru just nudged Mai with a hand so heavily gloved it looked like he had multiple oven mitts on. He wanted to get a move on, this wasn't the safest of actions and the sooner they got to it the sooner it would be behind them.

"We'll be here waiting," Lin broke in without any amusement of his own, he was already half dressed for the outside along with Bou and John. "If there is any trouble at all let us know and we'll head out after you."

There was what looked like a over-large walkie talkie in one of Naru's pockets and he nodded to his assistant seriously. "It will be fine. We should be back in a couple hours at the latest."

"You know the researchers are gonna be pissed when they find out you left without permission." Yasuhara observed, hiding in a connected room from the one they would be exiting out of. "What do you want us to tell them."

"It was a necessary step to end things." Naru answered him before he opened the door.

The frigid air was immediate, it washed over them both and stung at their eyes unforgivingly as they stepped into the eternal winter outside. Though she was still chilled from the possession of Echo she wasn't nearly as bothered as the last time they rushed through this weather. She figured it had something to do with the spell-casting spirit she was playing hostess to but it was nice to be able to enjoy the scenery without being overly uncomfortable.

She'd even paused once the door was closed to look around but Naru was nudging her along fast enough. "Mai, are you all right?"

He had to almost yell to be heard over the winds around them but she nodded a lot to let him know she was before she started walking them toward their destination, lead inexorably by the unseen force within her. She had to admit that she didn't mind some of the benefits that came along with the slightly chilly feeling, though the walk was more difficult than expected. She hadn't really thought about the ground here being more ice than ground and she was slipping or sliding her way toward the point she was being drawn to more than actually walking.

Naru was having an easier time than she, as if he was used to walking on the slick watery surface as if he had some sort of past experience with such a thing. _"Why is it he always manages to look so good at the things he does? So unfair to the rest of the world. I wonder what he's always brooding about."_

_**"I could tell you but you'd rather hear it from him."**_ The spirit answered her thoughts with some level of amusement. _**"Just remember when it comes down to it he's the one you've wanted all this time."**_

_"Huh?" _Mai blinked in confusion when she got that answer, blushing unseen under her heavy scarf. _"What does that mean?"_

_**"You'll understand when you need to."**_ Echo replied with a mental chuckle. _**"It's all a matter of if others in this little scene play their parts right."**_

_"You are as confusing as he is."_ Mai sighed a little to herself at the thought.

She didn't get a reply that time and it was just as well, she probably would have just ended up more confused, as far as she was concerned this spirit spoke in riddles when he wanted to.

Naru meanwhile was in fact brooding as believed, wondering just what it was this spirit expected of him to release it. He knew that Masako was probably right in her comments as to him hiding things and just what he was hiding was bothering the young researcher. He already was putting Mai in more danger than he should have been by letting her remain possessed. But he couldn't really think of another way to go about this and keep everyone as safe as possible while hoping for a chance to speak to Gene.

She lead them for a while and then crested a hill she had a hell of a time managing to scramble up, wondering idly if she only made it because of the spirits help when she paused, it was the cliff face she'd seen in her dreams, though obviously this time Naru wasn't inside the wall of ice. She approached but couldn't bring herself to reach out and touch the sheer semi-translucent wall. Not when the dream had so vividly tugged her inside.

_**"It's here. Below where you are standing by about a half a foot. If you clear away some of the snow you might be able to see it." **_The spirit told her, which had her - with effort giving the layers of clothing - bend down to sweep the snow away.

"What is it?" Naru asked, he didn't have to raise his voice as much here, the makeshift ice wall blocked them from a large portion of the winds that were interrupting his voice before.

"He says it's down here. Are you sure you'll be able to dig that far?" She asked, backing away as he lifted the pick they'd brought along. "It's sorta thick ice."

"I'll manage." Naru commented as he slammed the sharp tool down once, though he hardly got anywhere with the first hit. Or the several others that followed.

Mai was glad she had the scarf on, though she was having a hell of a time not laughing at his futile attempt to dig into the ice. It was somehow good to know he was mortal after all. After a few minutes wherein he didn't make more than a tiny dent she reached out and touched his shoulder.

_**"Let me." **_The spirit was moving her again, she bend down and touched her gloved hand to the ice and it was suddenly the warmest her body had been sense the whole possession began, the ice melting away from where her hand touched until the small circular necklace floated to the surface. It was in the shape of a small crystal orb surrounded by a quarter moon and wisps of fire and had a rusty chain dangling from the tiny but detailed pendant. _**"And here it is…I haven't seen it in ages in the light…it's grown so varnished with age…"**_

"That's it then?" Naru wanted set confirmation of the small necklace in Mai's hand being the cause of all this trouble. Though he couldn't simple attack it…usually there was more to such things.

_**"I apologize Mai Taniyama, I'm afraid I'm going to have to put you to rest for a while. What is to come is something I cannot allow you to witness."**_ Echo's whisper suddenly seemed near her as opposed to within her and she felt herself spiraling into unconsciousness before she could even manage to put together any form of reply.

_**"She is at rest."**_ Echo announced to Naru with Mai's voice. _**"She won't be able to witness or hear us until I awake her again."**_

"What is it you want from me?" Naru asked with a slight frown. "I don't appreciate your continued possession of Mai, it's not needed."

_**"You figured that much out eh?"**_ He seemed amused. _**"You are right, but after so long just wandering disembodied it was nice to spend some time experiencing the world again before I'm due to leave it. I'm not going to harm her if that's what you are concerned about."**_

"And your other comments…how could you possibly put me in contact with Gene? I can't even know you are telling the truth about his spirit still wandering here." Naru stated, apparently his time to think with Mai's disappearance left him more skeptical than initially.

_**"Didn't I tell you before Oliver?"**_ He asked with a small smile, the deceptive grin on Mai's face just didn't fit her face. _**"You should have a little faith. There is more to this whole tale to come and we still need to do much to reach it's end."**_

"Or we could simply call it quits and let you rot out here with your pal the angry ghost." Naru replied coolly. "I don't need the money and this whole Glacial Project isn't really necessary."

_**"You won't do that though."**_ He chuckled lightly. _**"You aren't the sort to give up on anything like that or you never would have agreed to come out here and risk your and Mai's health in the first place. The first thing will be getting this back and destroying it. It shouldn't be difficult, I never laid spells to strengthen it…it only survived so long because of where we are. It was preserved here."**_

"That still leaves the question of what else you want me to do?" Naru commented, following as Echo took Mai's body and started back toward the Project.

_**"I want you to return me home."**_ The spirit answered him quietly, some sort of magic being the only thing to carry the low tone once they were out in the open again. _**"Claire is still waiting for me, I never realized it while I was still alive but her spirit was still there at my home. She wants me to return to her or she'll never be able to rest."**_

"Why not mention this sooner?" Naru narrowed his eyes as he followed the possessed assistant back toward their temporary home.

**_"You wouldn't have believed me, much as you are still even skeptical of my words now. I needed to offer you up something first."_** Echo answered him easily as they continued back though the chill didn't seem to bother him in the least. **_"That was why we needed to pick up this necklace. You would have required a show of good faith and argued and it was simply faster to bypass that step and explain it later. You may indeed be a genius Naru but your personality makes it exceptionally easy to guess the steps you'll take. Just as as much as you don't like all this I'm saying to you, you love your brother and you know what I'm offering isn't a lie. Will you help me to rest or not? If not you I'll find someone else easily enough and your window of opportunity will be lost."_**

"I'll help you." Naru finally replied with a sigh. Starting to feel as if he didn't have much else of a choice in the matter. "But you can't accompany us possessing Mai the whole time. That's a term I'm not going to back off on."

He glanced back and was a bit surprised at the demand. _**"Do you have an alternative method?"**_

"You may enter into an item one of us owns but as I said, Mai is off limits." Naru answered him in perfect seriousness as they were getting closer to the door. "Or I will leave you here to rot, you'll find yourself surprised if you doubt that."

A smile flickered over her face and she laughed, even if it was the spirit it was so difficult to make the separation. _**"I'll accept those terms then."**_

Naru had to second-guess himself for accepting the responsibility for transporting such a powerful spirit back to the living world at all but thoughts of Gene lingered and he couldn't simply back down. For now he needed to help destroy the darker spirit of the job at hand.

**End Chapter**

This chapter was probably the hardest to write so far. It's hard to describe someone that's acting in another person's body. It really is. I also apologize for how long it took to get up, my laptop's net card was being screwy for several days and I only just got it working again. As a warning this will be my last post for a while as my husband gets home from a month and a half deployment tomorrow and fan fiction will be the last thing on my mind. Sorry but I promise I'll get back to it

_-Aura_

To my reviewers:

_Ayjah_ - I thought it was different. I like to try for different.

_LifesABitchToMe_ - You are welcome!

_HarunoRin_ - Well, most straight guys don't wanna kiss other guys…it makes sense.

_zero seconds_ - innocent whistle I can't say…cough

_PrincessSerene15_ - Thank you, hope you continue to enjoy the fiction.

_Otaku Nayami _- Glad!

_Miss.Margaret_ - Heh, not my fault. Blame my crappy laptop! The next delay though you'll have to blame my sexy husband ;)


	11. Chapter Eleven: Hiccups

**Chapter Eleven:** _Hiccups_

**February - Day 10**

They were gathered at the base again, everyone this time was looking over the small pendant they'd retrieved the day before - or at least the broken pieces of it. The whole thing had gone off so cleanly that it seemed a little like the quote 'to good to be true'.

She wasn't the only one with the feeling and everyone else was a little restless.

"It all seemed pretty simple." Bou answered. "It's good that that Echo helped us I guess."

"I'm just glad we'll be getting back to normal society soon." Ayako commented as she settled her bag down near the rest of the equipment was piled. "Do you really think we shouldn't wait a day or two?"

"All signs of activity have ceased." Naru replied with a shrug. "Lin's spirits can no longer detect anything and neither can Masako."

"The priestess nodded though glanced at the pocket of their black-clad leader and back to him curiously. She sensed the coin that Echo's soul had been attached to along with the powerful spirit within but given that Naru hadn't said anything she was weighting if she should speak to the others or not, finally walking up and asking to speak with him alone.

Mai glanced at them as they walked off but kept the frown from her face pretty well, having a spirit along for a while still had left her body cold. Echo left her when they'd destroyed the pendant and it seemed everything for this job was done.

"Don't let them get to you." The monk nudged her with a smile. "We'll be headed back soon anyway and Naru agreed to go out with you didn't he?"

"Who told you that?!" Mai blinked in surprise as she turned toward the taller man with a blush across her cheeks.

"Yasuhara heard it from Lin that apparently was told by Naru." The monk laughed and clasped her on a shoulder, back to his usual cheery self with the defeat of the spirit that had possessed him.

Lin didn't react at all, probably figuring he could pretend like he didn't hear and then nothing would come back to him. Yasuhara was speaking with John about something and was either pretending like Lin or really didn't hear them as they were on the other side of the room.

"Really? You get some information on him like Masako?" Ayako asked her as she looked at the door the two disappeared into. "Or are the young ones finally starting to act like teenagers."

"Don't get bitter just cause your getting ready for retirement." Naru commented as he returned very shortly with Masako. The priestess putting a sleeve over her mouth to cover the smile on her face at his comment to Ayako.

"You know, I don't have to come along on these things when you ask." Ayako frowned at the treatment, her feathers ruffling.

"It wouldn't be much different from when you are here." Naru told her dispassionately as he moved to help Rin pack up the rest of the equipment. "Yasuhara, could you go tell them we'll be ready for this to be loaded shortly?"

Ayako stormed off toward the way they would be leaving muttering to herself about 'rude children' or the like as she went, after she left Bou started laughing a little. "You should go a little easier on her Naru…she's helped us on a few jobs before now."

"Few being the key term of that sentence." Naru told him and then nodded to them. "We'll be leaving soon, we should start getting ready. Lin is going to observe them going over the equipment and transporting it."

"Mai is right. You do need to be nicer to people." John commented as he joined them. Apparently everyone had heard about the night they were up researching together.

Naru didn't reply, walking off to start to get ready with the rest of them following a little more slowly, minus Lin who was preparing in the base to help move stuff.

"_I guess him being nice was just temporary." _Mai thought as she fell into step with John. _"I wonder if he'll really still go on that date with me or if it was just Echo manipulating people…"_

They all got ready and were on the way back again, away from the frozen pole behind them. They'd saved the research project and were going to get paid for it but Mai couldn't help but feel like it was a job that had left her even more confused about her crush. They'd nearly kissed hadn't they? Was that all just Echo's influence? Was she simply fooling herself by thinking Naru might ever like her in return?

"_I don't want it if it's just the reaction of some sort of controlling spirit." _She thought with a sigh, watching the snowy fields below pass them, they would be returning to the normal world soon. _"Almost sad, this place really did seem magical somehow…like old fantasy stories."_

"What's wrong Mai?" John asked her, this time he'd been seated next to her on the way back.

"Nothing…just seems like the end of some sort of fanciful dream I guess." Mai explained with a laugh. "It was certainly a unique place."

"That's true." John agreed. "Though I think I prefer Japan or Europe myself. I'm looking forward to a warm bath."

"It'll be almost summer." Mai laughed.

"I don't care, it was too cold there. Do me some good." John replied with a small smile. "I'll be headed back to Germany for a bit after we return anyway. I won't be able to come with you guys to the British Isles."

"The British Isles?" Mai asked blankly. "Who's heading there?"

"Naru asked me to accompany him so I assumed he'd asked you as well." the priest answered with a small shrug. "He said he'd be heading there after a trip he had to take in Japan."

"John." Naru interrupted. "I hadn't told Mai yet about it, I wasn't sure she could take the time off from school."

"I'm not sure I could get the time but I'll try." She smiled a little. "I'd like to do more traveling, the trips themselves are a little long but it's certainly a lot of fun."

"We could wait a little while." Naru commented after a moment.

"Hey, how come you didn't ask the rest of us?" Yasuhara poked his head in, leaning up from his seat further back in the plane.

"I hadn't gotten around to it." Naru replied with a shrug. "Masako and Bou already stated they would come and you like Mai I figured had school."

"Oh, yeah, that's true. Actually I'll still have volunteer projects going on so I won't be able to make it." He shrugged a little. "Just nice to know we're asked last."

"I'll come along." Ayako offered, apparently over Naru's latest insults her way. "I've always wanted to visit that area…they have some religions that consider the elementals and trees sacred and I'd like to see it."

"That settles that then." Bou chuckled. "It's not that big a deal. Naru tends to ask us in varied order anyway. No reason to get upset Yasuhara, unless you are taking lessons from Ayako."

That started up another argument completely but Mai had to smile a little at it, it was sort of her family fighting and she appreciated having a family. Even if this new trip wasn't a vacation it would be enjoyable.

"What are we going to England for anyway?" Mai asked curiously.

"I can't say just yet." Naru answered without looking up from his laptop, he was typing away at it again and things seemed back to how they were before the whole trip began. "Just dress for rainy weather, it's always raining there."

"Yeah it rains a lot." John observed. "I visited London once and it was raining more than it was clear…pretty miserable weather actually."

"It's not that bad." Naru shrugged.

"You've been there before?" Mai asked curiously.

"Yes. I've traveled a lot for my research and work. I'd think that was obvious."

"_Yep, things are certainly back to normal."_ Mai thought dryly back at him. _"Can't ask questions without a sharp reply anymore."_

The others were still arguing when the whole coptier shifted and died for a moment just as when they came in, making a couple of the women (and one of the guys) shriek before it came back on and things picked back up as before.

Yasuhara was snatched onto Ayako again, though this time she was pulling his hair to get him away from her with a frown on her face. Masako had grasped awkwardly onto one of Bou's arms and was a little pale. Lin seemed more irritated that he'd had to catch his computer from falling than any fear over the hiccup. Naru was downright frowning at the fact that he hadn't caught his laptop and it was on the floor in pieces. John and Mai had managed to steady themselves without grabbing onto each other but they all exchanged looks.

"That's a really bad 'common' occurrence." Bou commented as Masako detached her nails from his shoulder and Yasuhara was begging for mercy behind him from the angry redhead. "I'd never heard of that before, I don't read much on this area but you'd think that'd be one of those known facts."

"I think it has something to do with the greater magnetized forces of the pole." John commented thoughtfully. "There are other places like that here and there on the world."

"Just seems weird." Yasuhara agreed as he rubbed his cheek from the slap he'd gotten moments before. "I'll have to look it up when I get back to school. I'll let you know what I find."

"Well, guess I'll try to get some sleep…someone exchange seats with this pervert." Ayako muttered and then leaned against one of the boxes next to her with a small pillow to attempt to rest.

"It's okay Ayako, if you're asleep you won't notice anyway." Bou joked and got a rap on the head for his comment…the arguments commenced as if the incident with the helicopter never occurred.

Mai smiled a little and looked back out the window, she wasn't tired as she'd actually managed to sleep the night before and it was still early, instead she was happy to look at the landscape (or lack thereof depending on who you asked) as they returned to Japan and at least somewhat ordinary lives for a while. With another job promising to come shortly things were looking up at least.

**End Chapter**

Sorry guys, this chapter's sorta short and it was hard to get together to. I might come back at a later date and edit it a little bit. Sorry also it took so long to get it up. I've been super busy as of late yet again sigh. I will try to get back to my humble fiction here when I can. I have not abandoned it.

_-Aura_

To my reviewers:

_Ayjah_ - Thanks and yes, tarnished with age was where I was going…

_Ecyoj06_ - -insert innocent whistle here- I'm not hiding anything…nothing being hidden here…lalala.

_Otaku Nayami_ - huh?

_SamuraiiLordzAndGoddesses777_ - I am married. Happily so! I'll have to find time to look at your sis's fanfics.

_Senko Ryu - I am glad my fiction can make you think so much! It makes me feel good that I could make someone ponder so deeply!_


	12. Chapter Twelve: Fear

**Chapter Twelve - Fear**

**February - Day 12**

It hadn't taken long to prepare and get going. The school allowed her the time off without even really asking her about it and assured her she could make it up when she returned. It was certainly the nicest they'd been about her taking off for work in a while - which was more than she could say for Naru. She had hoped maybe they could go on that date but he'd immediately prepared them to leave and it was so fast she'd barely even gotten the chance to ask at the school. They flew out about ten hours after they got back. Lin, Ayako, and Monk in tow.

This was nicer than the helicopter though, the large plane they were on for heading to England was certainly more comfortable than the helicopter had been. Naru's only niceness had been arranging for them to fly first class. She was by herself in a pair of seats. Ayako and Monk were together, both sleeping, and then Naru and Lin were sitting together, each on a laptop. She was yawning and glad for the nice seating in hopes she'd get some sleep soon too. She'd gotten a lot of it when they were in the south but she'd been awake for a long while so she was hoping she'd get some more over the nighttime flight.

Closing her eyes though she found herself smelling apples and blinked curiously at the orchard around her. Realizing after a moment that she was dreaming again...about the same people they'd just left in the south.

"Oh my dear? Are you all right?" The voice belonged to Echo. She started and glanced up to see Naru's face leaning down at her concerned. She blushed again at the idea of him actually being nice again. "I told you not to be climbing...you'll definitely bruise, is anything broken?"

"No, I'll be all right, don't tell anyone though." She heard herself say.

"_I already know this part. Echo is suppose to be gone? So is this Claire?" _She thought curiously. Then blinked in shock as Naru leaned in to kiss her, she could feel her blush. Her body seeming to want to leap as her arms wrapped around him and he pulled her to her feet while in that embrace. It was the third time she'd had her lips pressed to Naru's, yet none of them were real kisses at all. She pulled herself back and then looked around to find the scene had changed.

There was no one and she was alone in a long hallway, moonlight streaming in from the long windows, clear and silver, she was in a long gown, and felt like she was waiting. It was strange, the scene was definitely romantic, then it wasn't as kind. She felt a tightening, her collar seemed to be choking her and she reached up but couldn't breathe. She was trying to yell but it'd cut her off, and she grasped at it with wide eyes, more frightened that she wasn't waking up.

"Mai!" Naru's voice got through to her and she gasped as her eyes flew open, she could feel pressure on her hands and sweat on her skin. Staring into Naru's face as she slowly started to blush again, they were getting much too close lately. "What happened?"

"I...had a dream..." she said uncomfortably, looking away from the stares of the flight attendants along with Lin and Monk. Ayako was still sleeping.

"It'll be fine." Naru nodded at the woman standing nearby looking concerned. "Can you get Ms. Taniyama some water please?"

She nodded her accent and Naru sat next to Mai looking at her seriously despite her looking away. "You were choking yourself Mai, what were you dreaming?"

Mai blinked and looked back up shocked at him, realizing then that he let go of her wrists only a few moments after she'd said she was okay. He'd stopped her from hurting herself. That was why her neck still hurt. She resisted the urge to cry though she could feel the moisture rising in her eyes. "I saw the same castle again...with Claire and Echo...she was walking and then suddenly started choking, like whatever was around her neck was getting tighter."

Naru's eyes narrowed slightly, he was angry, but he didn't seem mad at her so Mai just stared. "Lin, watch Mai."

"Naru..." Lin commented darkly, there was something going between them they weren't sharing with everyone else.

"I'll be fine." Naru replied. "I just need a moment to myself."

He wandered into the small bathrooms on the plane leaving the rest to glance between themselves. Monk tossed Mai one of his candy snacks. "Don't worry about it, you couldn't help it Mai."

"Yeah..." Mai answered, glancing after Naru again then accepting the water with a small thanks to the attendant, trying to ignore her staring.

**-Naru-**

"_You said you'd keep Mai out of this."_ Naru knew the ghost could hear him when he held the coin that he had attached himself too. He still had a ward around the item to keep the ghost from possessing anyone else. He was angry, and he knew he couldn't keep that from the ghost so he didn't bother attempting to hide it.

"_**I didn't give her any dreams. I couldn't if I wanted to. You know that...you just checked to make sure the ward was still in place." **_Echo replied with a calm that didn't make him feel any better.

"_It has to do with you or your girlfriend, if she's waiting for you peaceably then why would Mai be having dreams of her death?"_ Naru had figured something like this would come up, but Mai's dreams had never become physical like that in the past...if someone hadn't been there to stop her...

"_**I cannot control her, nor did I ever tell you she was peaceful or not, just that she was waiting. How could I tell you what so much time has done?"**_ Echo answered again. _**"You should be more honest with the girl you know."**_

"_Shut up."_ Naru snapped in reply, pocketing the coin even though it didn't cut the connection as it was still in his possession. The spirit listened to his demand though and didn't offer him another answer.

He wanted to be able to break something but all he could do was stand there...he was already committed to this but would talking to Gene be worth it? Mai could have died if someone wasn't there with her. If this spirit is already effecting her and they were only over Europe he couldn't know if this Echo would even keep his part of the bargain.

"_**I'll let you speak to him now if you like."**_ Echo spoke up again. _**"Though it will be difficult out of dreams. He doesn't possess the ability to do so otherwise. I don't think you'll back out of your half, particularly not if it'll leave a powerful spirit lingering in Wales you couldn't please..."**_

Naru didn't like it, he couldn't know for certain if it was really Gene he was seeing...but in the end the spirit was right...as much as he didn't like it. He sighed and finished in the bathroom before returning to his seat. Mai wasn't looking at him and he didn't want to confront her just then anyway. He leaned back to close his eyes and try to rest. It took longer than he would have liked.

**-Dream State-**

Naru frowned as he looked at himself, though he knew the minor differences enough to know it was at least the image of Gene. He widened his eyes as Gene walked up and hugged him, smiling at him in such a way it was difficult to believe it was a trick.

"I'll be all right...if you find me I can leave..." Naru settled his arms around his brothers back. Shaking his head once, unable to speak a moment.

"Gene...you..."

"I have to." Gene interrupted him, messing up his hair and then laughing at the expression on his brothers face. "You never change, just as grumpy as usual. Don't worry Oliver, I'll be okay, even if I can't talk to you, I can talk to Mai."

Naru's quick mind put it together then. "You are the one that gives her dreams."

"Not always, but I visit her a lot that way." Gene answered. "I stay close to you, she's the only one I can talk to. I can only talk to you now because of Victor. He's strong Oliver, but not as strong as you."

"You know that without you I can't use my powers without causing myself harm."

"Sometimes that doesn't matter." Gene answered. "Just be careful. I think Victor is not a bad spirit, but he's hiding something. I can't pin it down though."

"Are you...are you happy?" Naru had to hesitate, he could feel himself near tears. His brother that was lost to him, he was right there in front of him. It wasn't the body, but he knew it was his spirit. He could feel it was actually him.

"More than you crazy." Gene answered, messing up his brothers hair again. "You should figure out what you want. I'm not a mystery for you anymore. You can't just always chase the dead."

Naru was about to answer but the link dropped, he was shaken awake by Lin who was staring at him in concern. He knew his friend wouldn't leave this for much longer but he shook his head, pushing the larger man away and moving to get his things to walk ahead of the rest. He didn't want them to see the tears threatening in his eyes. Though Mai hadn't missed it and was staring after him in concern as the rest of them struggled to follow.

**End Chapter**

I know it's been a while but I wanted to add a chapter. I've been watching back through the series and got in the mood finally to work on this. Yay.

_-Aura_

To my reviewers:

Thanks for all the support. It's been a long while since my last update so I won't reply individually this chapter. Next time I update I probably will again.


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